Pokemon: The Great PokeWar, Volume 1
by Eye of Phoenix
Summary: A long time ago, Samuel Oak fought in an epic war. A war that tested the limits of good and evil. A violent war against forces that have not been seen in the world since. Now the story comes out...
1. Chapter 1

Tracey Sketchit sat in the library in the Pallet Town Pokèmon Laboratory, which was where Professor Samuel Oak did his research and lived. Tracey had been one of Ash's friends, but ultimately chose to remain with Oak as his loyal assistant. And it was working out well too.

As he went through the shelves of the library, he discovered an old photo album. _What's this?_ He wondered to himself, flipping open the pages. Dust shot out at him and flew all around. He coughed a few times and blew the remaining dust off of the pages. Once he did that, Tracey began to examine the pages. Old photos, some yellowed, cluttered the pages. Not only was there photos, but newspaper articles and pieces of cloth were shoved in the album's leaves.

He looked at one photo. The picture showed a young man standing next to a Charizard. _Is that Professor Oak?_ Tracey wondered, examining it closer. _Yes. That has to be him. Looks too much like him for it not to be,_ he thought.

The next photo showed a woman. Her shoulder length hair blew back in the breeze. Next to her stood an Aerodactyl and a Dragonite. _Who's the girl?_ Tracey wondered. He admired her for several seconds until the door opened.

Professor Oak walked into the room and saw the album in Tracey's hands. "Oh? I see that you've found that old album of mine. I'm sure it likes to see the light of day. I haven't had it out in years." Oak said with a sad smile.

"Who is this?" Tracey asked, pointing at the woman with great interest. "She's beautiful."

Oak seemed to look up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "She was Alexandra Hoch," he answered.

"Was?" Tracey asked.

The professor glanced at him and said, "She's dead now."

"I'm sorry." What else could Tracey say?

Oak looked at the ground and seemed to be sad. "It's okay. Alexandra would have died sooner if it wasn't for me."

Tracey considered asking what he meant by that, but decided not to. Seemed to be a touchy subject. So he asked, "And who are those men?" He pointed at a picture across the page. Two men, looking very official, stood side by side. A Gallade stood next to one man and the other had a Blaziken.

"Those two are John Derekson and Charles Taylor. Highly respected men for their times. They were the ones who inspired me to become a professor."

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Well, Charles is dead and John lives in Saffron," Oak answered.

Tracey nodded slowly and asked, "Were you in the military?"

"What would give you that idea?"

Tracey pointed at another picture. It showed a rather young Samuel Oak standing next to a band of soldiers and Pokèmon. "I think it's obvious," he said.

Oak chuckled and pulled a chair next to Tracey. "I was not in the military, but I did work alongside of them. I was especially useful during the Great PokèWar."

"The what?" Tracey asked.

"It was a war that took place many years ago. I was but just a young man when it broke out. As I recall, Johto and Kanto were considered opposites of each other. Kanto was united but Johto, at that time, was divided up into city-states."

"What? I thought that Johto was always united."

"No. New Bark Town would have been considered a separate region of Johto. It wasn't until after the war that the cities united together and Johto became one," Oak explained.

Tracey leaned forward. He was interested in hearing more about the war. "Could you tell me about it?"

The professor closed his eyes and answered, "I suppose I can. It's a long story, but I think we have time."

"Sure! I fed and watered the Pokèmon so there's no rush!" Tracey grinned.

Oak leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. "But where to begin? That's the question."

"How about at the beginning?"

"No. That would be more like a book than a story. However, before we begin, I will tell you who all you need to know. The main characters, if you will."

Tracey nodded eagerly. "Please," he said.

"Very well. John Derekson was my mentor and the lead doctor at Saffron City. He, like many people from that city, used psychic Pokèmon. His best fighter was Gallade. John also carried a serious demeanor and tended to be level-headed, although I've seen him angry many times in the past." Oak explained.

"So John was the leader?" Tracey asked.

Oak shrugged a shoulder and said, "I suppose. Either him or Charles. Charles was a man from Hoenn and a good friend of John. He, like John, was a doctor who studies the nature of Pokèmon and humans." He paused to see if Tracey had any questions. There were none so he continued. "Crystal, on the other hand, was from Johto's northern regions. She was not like John or Charles. She was dangerous."

"How was she dangerous?" Tracey asked.

"She believed that all people should give her their Pokèmon and she would train them. All Pokèmon would be trained by her, although she claimed that the trainers and she would train the Pokèmon cooperatively. No one trainer would have supreme control over their teams."

"That's not good," Tracey interjected.

Oak nodded, "Right. Then there was Mario, a man who was also from Johto, though he lived close to Mount Silver. He trained steel Pokèmon. After him was Alexandra, the dragon trainer from Blackthorn City. She was forced out of the city by Crystal, making them archrivals."

"Boy, Crystal sounds like a jerk!"

"True. Alexandra followed her own set of rules. She had an idea that dragons were the best Pokèmon around and wanted everyone around to train them, just like her."

"Is that bad?"

"No, but she forced people to give up their other Pokèmon and in cruel ways. However, Alexandra was kind to dragon Pokèmon and to other Pokèmon that looked like dragons."

"Did you like her?"

Oak did not answer that. Instead he said, "Well, now that the main players have been established, I will tell you the tale about the Great PokèWar."


	2. Chapter 2

Flying high in the sky was an Aerodactyl. Although it had been resurrected from a fossil, the mighty winged terror had not lost all of its blood-thirsty nature. However, thanks to its training, Aerodactyl had learned how to use his aerial supremacy to do other things besides hunt. He could spy.

As he glided, Aerodactyl watched as the lesser Pokèmon cowered beneath his shadow, just like a Kabuto would have cowered in the ancient days. Although he was hungry, he did not pay much attention to the food down below. He was on a mission. His task: destroy the Ice Army Training Complex. That was his goal.

The clouds parted, revealing a large building. People were running around in their ice blue uniforms, training their Pokèmon that were of the ice variety. Aerodactyl remained a bit leery of the ice Pokèmon since he was a rock/flying type, making him venerable to icy attacks. However, that did not take his mind off of the task at hand—destroying the building

He did not see the Ice Army leader though, but that was okay. There were multiple bases scattered throughout the northern regions of Johto that expanded deep within the Ice Path and into the newly acquired Blackthorn City. It wouldn't be long before they moved into Mount Silver. That could not happen.

Aerodactyl saw the gas containers around the side of the building. If he could hit those, the entire structure would be destroyed, taking human and Pokèmon alike with it. Of course, that would be bad to lose all those Pokèmon, but they would serve as collateral damage. A sacrifice for the greater good.

He locked on the target and opened his mouth. He only had one shot before he was discovered. Energy began to flow and he felt the power of Hyper Beam begin to form. He arched his wings and aimed. Without any sound, he fired the beam at the gas containers.

The roar was deafening. Fire and smoke billowed around the complex, destroyed anything that was caught in the destructions path. Aerodactyl watched as the building was engulfed by flames. There was no way anyone could put that out.

With a cry in victory, Aerodactyl turned and flew back toward his master, who would be pleased to learn about this triumph. The flight wouldn't take very long, not with a good tailwind that allowed him at soar and glide. He flew east, away from the complex, but stayed within the mountains. The base that he was headed to was also in the mountains, probably because enemies would have a difficult time attacking them there.

As he dived down into a valley that had been hidden by the mountains, he saw the building that housed his master and several allies. A large male Charizard and three Charmander noticed his entry. The Charmander hid behind the Charizard's massive body in fear. They were still young and had no idea that they held potential power that could defeat even the mighty Aerodactyl.

Aerodactyl landed next to the building and greet the Charizard, who had the same trainer as him. "Aero?" Aerodactyl asked Charizard. He wanted to know the mood of their trainer.

Charizard never got a chance to answer as their trainer came out of the building. Their master and friend was Alexandra Hoch, a tall brown haired and blue eyed woman. She approached the two dragon-like Pokèmon and smiled, "I'm glad to see that you've returned safely. Did you finish your task?"

"Aero!" Aerodactyl answered with a nod.

Alexandra nodded and turned on her heels to face the other humans. She barked out in her alto voice, "DT and DD, the Ice Army has been weakened with the destruction of their training complex. I want you to make sure that there are no survivors. I want you to leave the scene as bloody as possible. That will be a little gift for Crystal."

The DT, or Dragon Trainers, was a highly trained group who had deadly Pokèmon. The Pokèmon could only be controlled by the DT because of the professional nature that each member had. And DT members tended to be made up of temperamental trainers who couldn't do well as anything but assassins.

The DD, on the other hand, were less violent and leaned more toward cooperation. They still were highly trained; although to a lesser extend than the DT. DD stood for Dragon Division and, like the DT, used dragon or dragon-like Pokèmon.

Nevertheless, both groups knew better than to go against Alexandra's orders. She was the leader of the National Dragon Squad of Johto, or NDSJ. Alexandra had been in more battles than most of the DD or DT members, which had led her Pokèmon to be highly tuned to her mood.

"Yes, my leader!!!" The generals of the DD and DT snapped off a salute and began to march. Most, however, summoned a Charizard or Flygon to fly them there. Very few people had a Dragonite or Salamence because of the high level it takes to evolve them. And none other than Alexandra had an Aerodactyl.

Alexandra watched as the DD and DT left to finish off the complex of the Ice Army. Behind her were the remaining generals and advisors. Her second-in-command approached her and said, "Don't you think Crystal will be angry with you for this?"

Alexandra looked smug and replied, "Yes. She will be furious."

"And why are you antagonizing her?"

"She took over my hometown and turned it into an ice rink. I will not allow her to conquer all of Johto with her stupid ideas. She's wrong about Pokèmon and the methods in which they should be trained," Alexandra said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Good point," the second-in-command remarked.

Alexandra ignored him and walked to Aerodactyl. She grabbed his rock-hard neck and flung herself over his body, straddling him. "Let's go see how progress is going," she said softly.

"Aero!!" Aerodactyl answered her and opened his wings. With a cry, he flapped hard and slowly rose into the sky. Fortunately for him, a gust of wind carried them higher and out of the range of the mountains. Behind them was Charizard, who had decided to fly as backup in case anything unforeseen happened. Not likely, but Crystal may decide to launch a sneak attack on the DD and DT while they sifted thought the remains of the building.

Alexandra leaned forward on the Aerodactyl's neck and looked down at the ground. Various Pokèmon were grazing on the grass down in the canyon. A cool breeze carried Aerodactyl higher and, after a short flight, the smoke from the destruction came into view. "Well, I see that you did your job," Alexandra muttered, stroking Aerodactyl's neck.

Charizard, following closely behind Aerodactyl and Alexandra, saw the DD and DT troops finishing the job. Several people had managed to survive the explosion and were crawling on the ground. Many were badly burnt. Pokèmon were also burnt badly. Puddles of water could be seen. Those puddles were caused when a true ice element Pokèmon melted.

The humans who were barely alive were put out of their misery, usually by a bullet to the head or chest. It seemed cruel, but, to Alexandra's mind, it was the most humane thing to do to humans who were burnt to a crisp.

"My leader, we have almost finished our rounds. If any escaped, we will catch them," one of the DT officers said to Alexandra after she and Aerodactyl landed.

She turned to them and nodded, "Good. Keep me informed."

"Yes," the officer said and walked away.

Alexandra looked around. The building was in ruins. Smoke and small spurts of flame still leaped from the windows. _Crystal will be coming soon,_ she thought. Without a second thought, she yelled, "Let's be speeding things up. I would rather not be around when Crystal realizes that we destroyed her training complex."

"Yes, my leader!" All answered. They began to shoot anything on the ground, dead or alive. They all knew better than to disobey Alexandra. They feared her temper.

Right then, a sound came from the top of the cliff. Charizard and Aerodactyl heard the noise and looked up. They gasped. The Ice Army stood perched on top of the crag, watching in what could be described as horror. A figure stepped forward. She was Crystal Sokoll, the leader of the National Ice Agency, or NIA.

Alexandra also noticed Crystal's arrival. "Knew it…" She muttered under her breath.

"Alexandra! How dare you attack this complex! How many did you kill?! One hundred?! Two hundred?! Damn you!!" Crystal's voice could be heard from the top of the crag. She stepped forward and skidded down the cliff. When she reached the ground, she landed as gracefully as a Persian.

Alexandra did not look intimidated. "You would have done the same," she retorted.

Crystal growled, "Attack! Ice Army! Take them down!!" She raised an arm and yelled, "NOW! Do it now!"

Alexandra dodged a random Water Gun blast from a nearby Squirtle. "Oh? A challenge?" She mocked with an evil grin.

"Leader! We're outnumbered! What should we do?" One of Alexandra's grunts yelped.

Alexandra thought quickly. _If we retreat, Crystal will follow us to the base. If we stay and fight, we'll be defeated. But what about a third option?_ Her eyes darted around, gathering as much information as she could. _With enough firepower, we could cause a rockslide and block the NIA. That should keep them from following us._ Alexandra smiled and turned to face Crystal.

"Well? Have you made your decision? Do you flee and die later or fight and die now?" Crystal asked, glaring with her brown eyes.

Alexandra ignored her and reached into a pocket, grabbing a Pokèball. She carefully undid the latch that kept the dragon inside and a bright light filled the area. Once the light faded, a large Dragonite flapped her wings and growled. "Dragonite, I need you to cause a rockslide once we are safe. You will block the NIA and keep them from reaching us." Alexandra whispered to the dragon.

Crystal stepped forward, "Enough stalling. Make your choice. Death that is quick and painless or death that is harsh and unforgiving? Which will you choose?"

Alexandra stepped backward, trying not to look like she was going to flee. She shot a glance at her generals and nodded slowly. The message was clear. Everyone began to walk closer to her. Dragonite began to run through her head a list of attacks that could cause a rockslide. Once the attack of choice was selected, she waited for the order.

"Well?" Crystal asked again, now sounded very impatient. "I have had it with your arrogance, Alexandra! I will choose your fate! You will die…NOW!" She raised a hand and yelled, "Attack! Kill them all!"

Right then, Alexandra cried, "Dragonite, now!"

Dragonite, who had chosen to use Slam, took her long tail and bashed it into the rocks, making them loose their stability. They began to tumble down the mountain. Crystal noticed the rocks falling toward her and her army. "Fall back!" She ordered.

However, some were not fast enough to avoid the rocks. The fate of those too slow consisted of having their heads smashed in by the massive boulders and rocks. Alexandra watched the bloody scene with little care. She could hear Crystal shouting from behind the wall of blood and rocks. It was complete chaos.

"Leader? What should we do now?" A grunt asked Alexandra. He was holding his arm and a stream of blood was coming off of his arm. Apparently he had been struck by the jagged edge of a rock.

She sighed and watched the dust settle. Dragonite walked over to Charizard and Aerodactyl. Those three had known each other for a long time. They began to talk amongst themselves. Alexandra looked away from the trio of Pokèmon and answered, "We leave and hope that Crystal doesn't try to follow us." With that, she raised an arm and shouted, "Move out!"

The NDSJ began to leave the area. As they walked away from the rock pile, they could hear Crystal screaming, "I'll get you for this!!!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Boy, all of this studying is giving me a headache," Samuel Oak moaned to his mentor, John Derekson. In front of Sam was a large book with the lists of Pokèmon elements and how they affected others. "Electric has no effect against ground. Water gets zapped by electric. I think I get it," he said.

John, who was about twenty-three years older than Sam, smiled tolerantly. His gray eyes looked into Sam's blue and he answered, "You can never know everything about Pokèmon. Keep reading."

Sam sighed. He was around 20 years of age and really didn't want to spend his free time reading. He ran a hand through his brown hair and groaned, "Fine. Okay."

"You'll thank me later on for pushing you like this," John added with a grin. He turned away from Sam and continued studying a fossil from an ancient Pokèmon.

"What kind of fossil is that?" Sam asked, looking up from his book with mild interest.

John did not look up and answered, "It appears to be the fossil of an ancient meat eating Pokèmon. I can only assume the species it came from."

"What do you think it is?"

"An Aerodactyl, but that's only a guess. I'll need to do more studies on the fossil to see if this is accurate."

Sam nodded and decided to look from the Aerodactyl in the index. He found the correct page and flipped to it. On the page, there was a drawing of what an artist though the ancient winged beast should look like. The image showed a beast with a large head and even larger jaws. The teeth were long and pointed. On the back of its head were two long crests that Aerodactyl could use to help steer while in flight. The tail had a triangular paddle at the end to also assist in steering. The Pokèmon's skin was shown to be a shade of green or brown.

"Are you sure that Aerodactyl went extinct?" Sam asked.

John laughed, "Yes. There are no more Aerodactyl and, unless someone invents a way to resurrect them, they will stay extinct."

Sam sighed and looked back at the book. Then he heard the phone ring. "Sir? Phone," he said to John.

"Ah. Thank you," John replied, walking out of the room in order to answer it. "Hello?"

Sam listened to the conversation. It certainly was more interesting than reading his book. _I wonder who's on the other end of the line,_ he wondered.

After several seconds, John said, "I see. That's not good." There was another paused. John answered, "So you're coming here?" Pause. "Very well." Pause. "Indeed. Something needs to be done in Johto. Too many rebellious groups that can cause trouble elsewhere. Right?" Pause. "I'll see you later. Bye." With that, John hung up the phone.

Sam went back to studying his book. "Who was that on the phone?" He asked without looking up.

"That was Charles Taylor from Hoenn. He's coming here. Apparently there have been some problems in Johto that have caught his interest."

"Problems? Like what?"

John thought for several seconds and answered, "It seems that two rivaling groups have been stirring up trouble. He fears that Hoenn and Kanto might be attacked."

"That isn't good. How can we help?" Sam asked, looking curious.

John considered the question and replied, "I suppose we can lend Charles our assistance. If Hoenn falls, then the other regions will fall as well. Kanto isn't out of the woods yet. Sinnoh, even though it isn't in the direct path of the conquerors, might be taken over. We must not allow that to happen."

Sam nodded eagerly. Since he was so young, he believed that he could conquer the world. That nothing could slow him down. He wanted to help. "So how should we stop the enemy?" He asked in his most mature voice.

"I don't know yet. That's why Charles is coming," John answered quietly. He went back to studying the fossil. "This Aerodactyl, if indeed that is what it is, must have died several million years ago. I wonder what would have caused its downfall," he muttered to himself.

Sam remained silent. He turned to face his book and went back to reading. When he flipped the page, the Pokèmon discussed was Celebi, the voice of the forest. He thought back to the adventure he had with a Celebi and how he traveled into the future. He thought about his friend from the future, Ash, and what they had to go through to keep the legendary Pokèmon safe. _At least that Celebi is safe…_ he thought.

"Sam?" John looked at him.

"Huh?"

"Maybe you should get some rest. It's going to be a big day tomorrow when Charles arrives."

Sam didn't argue. He stood up and left the book lying on the desk. He walked out of the room. "I wonder if I'll play a role in this. I hope so. I don't like being left out of the action," he muttered as he climbed up to the loft where his bed was. His bed was, in fact, a sheet stuffed with straw. Not very comfortable, but it does the trick. Sam stretched out on the bed and yawned. On his right was a window that showed a tree, which had a Noctowl perched on a limb. The soothing sound of the hoots lured Sam into a deep sleep.

It wasn't too long after he fell asleep when someone entered his room. "Sam? Are you awake?" A voice asked.

Sam rolled over and muttered something inaudible. An eye opened and John stood in his doorway. "I figured that you would like to meet Charles," he said.

"Uhhh…Charles? I don't know a…" Sam realized that Charles was the man from Hoenn who was supposed to assist Kanto in stopping the rebellious Johto groups. "Oh! Charles! Right!" On that note, Sam leaped from bed and quickly dressed in something more appropriate to greet such an important man.

"Smart move, Sam. I'll go ahead down so not to keep our guest waiting," John said, turning to leave.

Sam finished dressing and left the loft. Once he reached the main room, he saw John standing next to a man who looked like he was around the same age as John. The stranger had graying hair but it still had signs of brown in it. His brown eyes locked on Sam and he said, "So this is the kid who is supposed to be joining us on this quest?"

John nodded slowly, "He is a professor in training, but he will come in handy. Trust me; Sam Oak will be more than just a light weight. Isn't that right?" His eyes locked on Sam.

"Uh, yes!" Sam said. Then he looked at the man he assumed was Charles and asked, "How was your trip from Hoenn?"

The man smiled with amusement. "It was fine. Flew with Pidgeot and swam with Blastoise. It was a lovely ride." Sam nodded politely in response, and then it was down to business. Charles turned to face John and began to give updates. "I have data from the front. My troops have used bird Pokèmon to keep up on the movements of the Johto front. From what we can gather, the action seems to be moving closer and closer toward Mount Silver."

"We cannot allow Mount Silver to fall. If we do, then that's the end for us," John said.

Charles nodded, "Right. If Mount Silver falls, then Kanto will have one hell of a time keeping the enemy out of here. I think we should place most of Hoenn and Kanto's troops there. Create a barrier."

"That's not a bad idea, but what if they end up breaking the line?" John asked.

"Let's just hope that doesn't happen…" Charles muttered darkly.

Sam looked down at the ground and sighed, "Do you think we can just talk to them? Ask them not to come into Kanto?"

"Are you nuts? That won't work. We're dealing with a band of ruthless barbarians!" Charles exclaimed.

"So? Who are we dealing with anyway? Do you know their names?" Sam asked.

Both older men paused and looked at each other. Charles spoke up, "We know that the two groups are lead by women. One uses dragons and the other uses ice. That's all we know."

"That's not a whole lot, y'know," Sam observed.

John looked at him with an annoyed stare. "And what do you think?"

Sam rubbed his chin and said, "I think that we should at least talk to them. That's the very least we can do before we attack them."

"Very well. We shall hail them to us and ask them what they are doing in our neck of the woods," John said.


	4. Chapter 4

Mario Martelli walked down the halls of his mountain domain. He lived in and around Mount Silver and acted as a guard to keep Crystal out of Kanto. Mario was also an ally to Alexandra.

_Why is it that I'm stuck here while Alexandra is causing all the trouble? I would much rather attack the Ice Army than defend against it…_ He thought, biting his lip with annoyance. _Jeez, sometimes Alexandra can be the biggest pain in the neck_.

Mario was in his thirties, a bit older than Alexandra. He had short brown hair and hazel eyes. He stood a tad taller than her and weighed more than her too. And he absolutely hated being told what to do. The only reason why he joined her was because she had risked her life to keep his steel Pokèmon army alive during an onslaught with Crystal's ice Pokèmon.

"Sir? Alexandra has come to see you," one of Mario's most trusted captains said to him.

Mario hesitated. _Why would Alexandra come to see me?_ He began to worry, but nodded, "Right. She's in the main office, yes?"

The captain nodded and Mario rushed down the hall toward the office. Inside of the room was Alexandra, who looked mildly annoyed. "Mario. We have trouble," was the first thing out of her mouth.

"Now what?" He asked her.

She paused for a second, then said, "While it is true that we successfully blew up the training complex in the mountains, we were ambushed by the Ice Army and Crystal."

"And I see that you escaped," Mario observed.

Alexandra nodded, "Yes, but I fear that we were followed. I took the troops to a secret base that I'm sure Crystal wouldn't be able to find. Our original base is probably destroyed. I doubt that there would be any survivors."

Mario looked thoughtful. "And you need me because…?"

"Because I need to use your base to strike at the heart of Crystal's icy core," she said.

"No. If you do that, then she will come by here and turn this area into an icy pit where no one can survive!" Mario yelled. He added, "It won't be called Mount Silver anymore! It'd be called Mount Ice!!"

Alexandra raised her hands in a gesture of peace. "Relax, will you? If you're not comfortable, then don't worry about it. I won't barge in here and take over this region."

"I'm not too sure if I can believe you on that," he muttered.

She smiled tolerantly and said, "I guess you'll just have to trust me then."

"And why do I have this feeling of dread?" Mario asked.

Alexandra leaned forward and whispered, "I guess that's kind of the feeling I give off." With that, she patted his cheek and turned to look out of the window.

"Why do you do these things to me?" Mario asked. "Do you enjoy this or something?"

Alexandra ignored him and muttered to herself, "Yes. These mountains will be perfect for a horde of dragons. We can use these cliffs to surprise incoming enemies. It will be a perfect hideout."

"Oh no! You're not making a base here! This is my territory!" Mario yelled in anger. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. "Alexandra, you may be my ally but I am not letting you push me around!" He shouted.

She smiled darkly and replied, "I wouldn't dream of doing such a terrible thing to my closest ally."

"Indeed," Mario said bitterly. "You know, if you weren't for you helping me in the past, I wouldn't even be in this boat. I hope you know that."

Alexandra said nothing in reply. She turned back to the window and began to image the dragons soaring in the sky. _I can see Charizard and Dragonite liking this place. Aerodactyl would be at home, _she thought.

Mario growled and started to walk away. Before he did, he hissed, "You just try making this your base. I won't settle for it, Alexandra." With that, he turned and left the room. Once he left Alexandra, Mario wandered down the hall. _Somehow I feel like I'm a pawn in this rivalry that Alexandra and Crystal have toward each other. I have a feeling that if it comes right down to it, Alexandra would turn on me in a heartbeat._ That wasn't a pleasant thought.

The captain, who had told Mario that Alexandra was waiting for him, walked toward Mario. "Sir? Might I ask what the matter is?" He asked.

Mario knew better than say bad things about Alexandra, even though he thought them. "Nothing. Everything is okay," he answered.

"You're sure?" The captain asked.

Mario looked annoyed and answered, "Yes. I'm sure." With that, the captain walked down the hall. _Jeez, I swear that these people are psychic. Maybe their parents were a bunch of Alakazam_, he thought, walking to a window to look out. What he saw made him gasp. "No way!" He yelled, running back toward the room where Alexandra was.

"ALEXANDRA!! How could you?!" Mario yelled. He had seen a troop of dragons scouting Mount Silver. Dragons that was friendly toward Alexandra and the NDSJ.

She looked at him. "How could I do what?" She asked.

"Those are your dragons! You had it planned to move in all along! Didn't you?" Mario yelled.

Alexandra shrugged, "What? I am just trying to help you out. That's all. If my dragons spot anything even remotely close to an ice type, they will destroy it. No big deal."

"No big deal?! Do you realize that you're causing a mess?!"

"No. Not really. I think that what I'm doing to you is actually helpful. You see, Crystal knows that you are on my side. If she finds you, she will destroy you. If I am here to help defend you, then she will have a difficult time with that. Right?"

"I guess…"

"Then shouldn't you be thanking me for saving your hide?"

Mario looked down. She had outsmarted him, as always. Alexandra had a way with people. She could talk herself into and out of almost anything. That's how she got so many people on her side of the situation. She was most known for her speeches and dazzling displays of power.

"Well?" Alexandra asked.

He sighed, "Thank you for saving me…"

"What? I can't hear you."

"Thank you for protecting me!!!" Mario yelled at the top of his lungs.

Alexandra smiled and nodded, "You are very welcome. In times like these, we need to watch each others backs."

"I suppose so…" He agreed softly. _I've been outdone…again, _he thought with a grunt. "Do you think your dragons will find anything?"

Alexandra shrugged, "No idea. I'd rather not take a risk and get caught. Even if Crystal isn't in these mountains, we can't drop our guard."

"Good point," Mario sighed heavily.


	5. Chapter 5

It was around noon for Crystal, who was standing on a tank, watching as her soldiers began to remove barbed wire across the narrow path within the mountains. "Soon we will uncover the base of Alexandra and all will be well with the world!" She announced with triumph.

"I still think we shouldn't be celebrating yet. Alexandra and Mario are dangerous foes." One of her loyal generals advised. He had been with her since the beginning on her reign.

Crystal grinned, "I have no fear of Alexandra and Mario. They are weak when compared to the power of ice!"

The tank stopped suddenly and everyone turned around to look behind them. "I hear something!!" A random man yelled from his position near the rear.

"Do not flee!!" Crystal yelled. With a sneer, she added, "Or else you will suffer the most gruesome fate."

"Something is coming!" Another man cried.

Right then, almost as if on cue, the ground opened up. With a scream, several men were swallowed up. Crystal strained to see what was happening. _What is going on?_ She wondered, trying to figure out what terror lurked under the rocks. Then it hit her. "Tyranitar!! There are Tyranitar under us!" She bellowed.

"Ahhhhh!!!" A lieutenant wailed as he sank under the rocks.

"Run!!!" A few people yelled, trying to climb the rocks to higher ground.

Crystal sighed, "I guess I'll have to take care of this myself." She reached inside of her coat and snatched up a Pokèball. "Alright. Blastoise, I want you to eliminate all Tyranitar." With a toss, the Pokèball opened and the large turtle-like Pokèmon appeared.

"Blast!!!" The Blastoise bellowed, revealing the large cannons that were usually hidden inside of his shell.

"Use Hydro Pump!!" Crystal ordered, raising her arm in the air.

The Blastoise complied with amusement. The massive blast of water slammed into the attacking Tyranitar. "Rar!!!!!" The dark Pokèmon cried in agony. Most of them fled immediately.

"Finish them off," Crystal ordered coldly.

Blastoise unleashed another wave of water, forcing the entire group of Tyranitar to flee. "Blast! Blastoise!" The water Pokèmon cried in success.

Crystal nodded, "Good job. Now why all of those Tyranitar would attack us without any hesitation? They must have been allies of Alexandra. Damn it, she did a good job at cutting my men in half." The last line was almost literal. Several troops were missing their legs after being pinched by the boulders that were casually cast aside by the Tyranitar.

"Help us! Oh god…." Several of the suffering troops cried, raising their arms up to Crystal, hoping that she would save them.

Crystal turned to face her perfectly whole troops and nodded slowly. Without any remarks, the group pulled out their rifles and began to fire on the injured. When all were put out of their miseries, Crystal yelled, "Let's get out of here before there are any more attacks."

"Right! Let's get out of here!" Crystal's second-in-command yelled. He raised an arm and pointed. "To that ridge! Let's get out of the trenches."

"Right. We're sitting like a flock of Farfetch'd out here," another soldier muttered. The entire group followed the patch that the tank had plowed for them out of the rock.

Crystal returned to her position inside of the tank. "Our course set?" She asked.

"Yes. We're rumbling into Blackthorn City within the next five minutes. The residents won't even know what hit them." The navigator laughed and refolded his maps.

Crystal nodded her head and sat down. "Good. Let us see how Alexandra likes having her home town completely blown off of the map." With that, she took a match out of her jacket pocket and lit it. Then she placed the burning match against the map. The flame leaped from the match and began to ignite the area where Blackthorn was. "It will be beautiful," she muttered, watching the map burn.

"Yes, ma'am." All agreed from within the tank.

The tank slowly rumbled forward, crushing rocks under its massive weight. Crystal gazed out of the small window in the side of the metal beast. She could see various Pokèmon fleeing in fear. _The tank must be scaring them…what a bunch of wimps, _she thought with a dark grin.

"Crystal. We're coming upon Blackthorn City," one of the tank captains announced.

She looked surprised. "Already?"

"We mowed through a mountain," he explained. "Got there a lot sooner than expected."

"Ah. Good," she agreed and opened the hatch. The light blinded her slightly and she shielded her eyes from the harsh sun. Like she had thought, the citizens were panicked.

"Run! Crystal is here!!" Several people tried to warn others. They slammed the doors shut in fear.

Crystal smiled with amusement. "They're scared of little ol' me? They don't know the meaning of fear…yet!" She crowed. With a grunt, she lifted herself up out of the tank and stood proudly on top of it. "Listen! You are all now under my rule. Do not try to escape or else you will suffer death!"

Several old women fainted toward the back of the crowd. "How can you do this?!" A young boy demanded.

Crystal's icy gaze focused on him. "Because no one stands in my way," she answered.

He yelled, "Alexandra will!! She'll fight you until the bitter end!!!"

"Oh yes…and the end will be bitter," she answered, raising her gun. The rabble rouser met a quick end with one shot to the head. The crowd screamed in terror, which was silenced quickly with Crystal firing into the air. "SILENCE!! I do not wish to waste bullets on such vermin! You will obey us. Do I make myself clear?"

Most of the crowd whimpered in response. The general stood next to Crystal. "You all belong to us now," he exclaimed, waving his arm around. "Now gather your belongings. You will be moved to another location. We will give you ten minutes to pack."

"What?!" Most of the people cried. "We can't do that!"

"You can and will. Unless you want to end up like your friend there," he answered, pointing at the lifeless boy. With that threat out in the open, the residents began to disperse back to their houses. The general looked at Crystal and said, "Do you think Alexandra will come with a vengeance?"

"She should," Crystal answered.


	6. Chapter 6

Charles, John, and Sam, after coming up with a plan, had sent out several carrier Pidgey with messages tied to their feet. The message was for the two warring groups in Johto. It was an order for them to meet with the Kanto leaders and try to figure a peaceful solution to the mess. Sam figured that the messages wouldn't work.

"Why would they listen to us? We're not even from the same region!" Sam said with annoyance.

John glanced at Sam and answered, "If they wish for us not to get involved, they will come. If they don't, then we will have no choice by to defend Kanto with force."

"Isn't that what they want?" Sam asked.

Charles replied, "Probably not. I'm guessing that the enemy Johto forces don't want a battle on several fronts. If I were them, I would take the offer and have a new ally."

"You mean we're going to help out the person who takes our offer?" Sam asked.

Charles nodded, "Yes. That's the basic idea. If we can knock out one, then we might just be able to take out the other."

"A double-cross? Charles, you must be joking. We can't do that. It's against our very nature." John said sternly.

"If we don't take them out, then we might very well be destroyed." Charles said stubbornly.

"True, but wouldn't that make us as bad as they are?" John asked.

Sam blinked. He understood what the elder adults were saying. _So we're going to make one of the parties think that we are their friends. Then we're going to attack them later on. That sounds bad, _he thought.

Charles noticed Sam's bitter look. "Don't fret, boy. Nothing has happened yet. The Pidgey are on their way to the leaders. It will take a few days before we get any responses. If we get any at all."

"Charles is right, Sam. There is nothing to worry about. Now, in the meantime, let us try to figure out their path if they planned on attacking Kanto." John pulled out a map from a drawer and laid it across a table. The edges of the map were wrinkled and torn at the edges. A coffee stain could be seen at the very top.

"Okay. If I were in Johto, I would say that the best place to cross over is….there." Charles pointed at the mountains. "Mount Silver would be the perfect spot. It's sheltered and not many people could attack you there."

John nodded and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "True. But why not cross from the sea? They could hit Cinnabar Island without much difficulty."

"They'd be easier to spot and attack. Plus water conducts electric. I highly doubt any of them wishes to become barbeque." Charles grinned at Sam. "What do you think, kid?"

Sam hesitated. This was a major mission and he didn't want to look stupid in front of the two professional men. "Uhh…uh…I think they'd cross over from the mountains."

"Why?" John asked.

"Because…they could use the caves as shelter in case of an attack and I'm sure that they have Pokèmon who could handle such jagged cliffs. Who are these people anyway?"

Charles folded his arms in front of his chest. "Good question. I can only tell you what Hoenn's spies have discovered, which isn't much. From what I gathered, they are the NIA and the NDSJ. I fear that they might have allies located elsewhere."

"Can you tell us what the initials mean?" Sam asked.

"NIA stands for Nation Ice Agency. NDSJ is the National Dragon Squad of Johto. We can guess what they use on their Pokèmon teams."

John nodded, "Yeah. Pretty obvious that it's ice types and dragons."

"Aren't dragons weak to ice Pokèmon?" Sam asked.

"Yes. Most are."

"Then why doesn't the NIA blast the NDSJ?"

John smiled, "Because they don't want to fight directly. I'm sure they would enjoy thumping each other to death, but that's not how wars are waged. There are calculated moves involved. Sneaking, spying, planning, and moving armies are also considered. And I'm sure they would want as much territory as possible before issuing a direct assault."

"Oh." Sam felt stupid. _Obviously the two groups would want to conquer as much land as possible. That way, they could gain more allies. Or at least force whoever got conquered to fight._

"Don't feel bad, Sam. Sometimes armies to confront each other directly, but it's usually a miscalculation. The group who gets impatient tends to have the daylights knocked out of them. If I were them, I would sit tight and wait it out."

"A war of attrition?" Sam asked.

"Exactly. A slow war that might end up driving the groups insane." Charles nodded. "Actually, that might not be a bad thing. At least we wouldn't have to fight."

"True. True. I have to admit that if there was a war of attrition, many lives would be spared," John muttered.

Sam blinked, "But how many people would die on the Johto side?"

Both men hesitated. Neither one wanted to start thinking about what would happen to the innocent victims in Johto. "I guess doing nothing is out. We're gonna have to fight." John nodded his head.

Charles agreed bitterly, "Right. If there is war, then we will be right in it. Side by side."

Sam stood up and walked to a window. He placed two fingers next to his lips and blew hard. A shrill whistle rang out. Suddenly, a large Pidgeot shot past, flared, and landed neatly on the ground.

"Sam? What are you doing?" John asked.

He looked over his shoulder and answered, "When the carrier Pidgeys have returned, I'll be ready to fly."

"But who knows how long that will take?" Charles said.

Sam shrugged, "Who knows? But we will be ready."


	7. Chapter 7

Alexandra watched as Mount Silver gained a serious makeover. Mario was just not good at mounting watches. However, she was. She had ordered her men to use cave trails to climb to positions of value. Fortunately, the only casualty had been a flashlight, which was dropped during a climb. So far, no human or Pokèmon died from her wishes.

"Alexandra! What are you doing?" Mario yelled to her. He ran over and glared at her.

She noticed that when he grew furious, a large vein popped out of his head. With that in mind, she answered, "Keeping a better eye out for Crystal. With your watch, I'm surprised that you've maintained such a secret position for so long. I mean, Crystal could easily march right up here and knock on the door."

Mario growled at her and hissed, "Well at least I have a home base. You had yours taken over."

"Do not lecture me!!! I know what happened." Alexandra glared at him fiercely.

Mario smiled mockingly and said, "Oh yes. You do remember. You remember the night when it rained ice. You and your people had to flee from your houses. I can see it now. Your face had to have shown complete horror when you realized what was happening. Crystal caught you off-guard, didn't she? Well, it was the last time your guard was dropped. Aren't I right?"

Alexandra glared angrily and said, "That's correct. Ever since that awful night, I have not dropped my guard. And you would be wise to do the same, my friend."

"I understand your warning. Still, I doubt Crystal would attack these mountains. Too risky."

Alexandra rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Granted that might be the case, but we should not take any unnecessary risks. I still think we should post several sentries. Just to be safe."

Mario hesitated. He was still unsure at whether or not Alexandra should even be trusted. She had helped him in the past, but Mario usually suffered several losses on his end. _And yet, Alexandra might be trying to help. Really trying, instead of just going through the motions,_ he thought, biting his lower lip with indecision. He hated being under her thumb. So many things could go wrong. Too many for his liking.

"Hmmm? What's this?" Alexandra leaned out of the window and reached out. A Pidgey landed on her arm. "What's around its leg?" She wondered aloud, picking at the piece of paper.

"A note? Maybe Crystal is going to surrender." Mario suggested.

"It is a note, but it's not from Crystal. It's from Kanto." Alexandra read the paper. "Says here that you and I are supposed to meet up with a bunch of bozos from Kanto to discuss our current situation."

"Why do they care about what we do?"

"Probably afraid we might attack them," she answered with a shrug. "Nevertheless, I think that one of us should go and the other should stay."

"Why?"

Alexandra rolled her eyes and said, "So that way if Crystal attacks, there will be someone here to fight her. Jeez, Mario! Sometimes I wonder about you." With that, she tucked the paper in a pocket and allowed the Pidgey to fly back to its masters.

Mario sighed, "So how do we decide who stays?"

"Well, let's look at this logically. Which one of us has the most firepower? And which one of us has the strongest defenses?"

He considered her question for a second before saying, "Well dragon Pokèmon obviously have more firepower than steel types. But my Steelix has a much higher defense than, say, your Aerodactyl. I guess that means that you're going and I'm staying. Right?"

"Right. If Crystal attacks, you and your people have steel Pokèmon to defend against her. This is the most logical choice, Mario. If she attacks and I'm here, I won't stand much of a chance. Isn't that right?"

"Agreed. So when are you leaving?" Mario asked.

Alexandra rubbed her chin thoughtfully and answered, "I'll leave later this evening. At dusk." She smiled, "Looks like your wish has been granted. I'm out of your hair for the time being." With that, she left the room and walked down the hall. Her boots clicked on the rock floor. _Flying will be the best way to reach their location. _She glanced down at the paper and saw that the meet was supposed to take place in Saffron. _Saffron City? Hell, they could probably predict my flight. This might be a trap._

"Alexandra!" Mario yelled, running down the hall. He stopped when he neared her. "Are you going unarmed? You should know that the inhabitants of Kanto aren't to be trusted."

She nodded, "I know. However, if I go in carrying a gun, they're going to consider me the enemy and I really do not want that to be the case. Besides, I won't be completely helpless. My Pokèmon will be there. Not just Aerodactyl, Charizard, and Dragonite, but Salamence, Garchomp, and Flygon. I think I have plenty of backup."

"Jeez, do you even realize how much power is in those six Pokèmon?" Mario asked.

She nodded, "Right. That I do know."

"So you want me to remain here and wait for your return?" Mario asked. His voice sounded hopeful. _With Alexandra away, I can regain control over Mount Silver, _he thought.

Alexandra nodded her head, "Yes. Wait until I return so we can launch a full scale assault on Crystal and the NIA."


	8. Chapter 8

"HURRY UP!!!" Crystal yelled, punching an elderly lady. "You don't need that bag! GO!" She shoved the woman, who had dropped a sack that was filled with clothes. "Get moving!"

The elderly woman scurried away, frightened by what happened. The guards watched her return to her family group. Some of the younger and newer guards were appalled by Crystal's behavior. That concern faded in the older members of the NIA, who had seen the brutality from Crystal many times.

"Crystal? When can we rest? My feet are killing me," one of the younger guards asked. He had a bead of sweat on his forehead.

She glanced at him and raised her arm in the air. With that, the convoy stopped. "You can rest now," she answered him. The man nearly fell in the floor from relief. Crystal stepped over him and looked at her newly acquired servants. _They don't look like much now, but I'll turn them into soldiers. Once Alexandra is dead, the better my odds will be that they will join me,_ she thought. The idea was almost too much to bear and she smiled at the thought.

Suddenly, a lone Pidgey shot out of the air. It landed close to Crystal. "Pidgey," it said, taking its talons and scratching its neck.

"What's this? A note?" Crystal bent down and snatched the piece of paper from the Pidgey. She read it calmly. _Kanto wants me to go tell them what I'm doing? How foolish. They'll just attack me. Why would they want to know my plans anyway?_ She considered the information for a minute. _Perhaps they know of my plight and are willing to help. I can use my charm to bring them to my side and get them to kill Alexandra for me. _

One of the captains walked to Crystal and asked, "What is that? And who is it from?"

"Kanto. They wish to speak with me."

"It's gotta be a trap! You can't go!"

Crystal smiled wickedly, "I must. For this might just determine the fate of all Johto. If I can bring the Kanto forces to my side, this war might just end sooner. And I will be deemed as a hero! The killer of Alexandra and the NDSJ!!"

The captain nodded, "Good point. I like the idea. If you can get those poor bastards on your side, that is."

"I can do that," she answered. _This is almost too perfect. I take over Blackthorn City and I can easily take over Mount Silver. Once those poor saps from Kanto join me, I will be strong enough to take over the world! Of course, not before killing Alexandra and her allies._

"When will you leave?"

Crystal looked down at her watch. "I'll leave in a couple of days. Give the Kanto peoples a chance to prepare for me." She kicked a rock and watched as it hit someone in the back. "I'll be more than ready."

"Pardon me for asking, but how do you plan on reaching Kanto? You can't fly over the mountains and there is no water source nearby," the officer said.

"Let me ask you one thing. Can you swim?" Crystal inquired. She looked like she was in a daze.

The officer blinked in confusion. "Why?" He asked cautiously.

She didn't answer. Instead, she turned and walked away. _I'm almost positive that Blastoise has enough firepower to destroy these mountains. Of course, if I could find that path around Mount Silver, then I wouldn't have to worry about blowing these mountains clear to kingdom come!_ She grinned and began to survey the region. "Move out! Let's cover a few more miles before dusk. I can sense that we're closing in on the enemy at Mount Silver."

"Mount Silver?! Are you crazy?! We can't attack there! It's too dangerous! There are all kinds of rock and steel Pokèmon there!"

Crystal shrugged, "Are you a man or a Pikachu? It will be a short battle. Trust me on this. Steel Pokèmon, such as Steelix or Scizor, have strong defenses. But they have nasty weaknesses. Steelix, the main Pokèmon of Alexandra's ally, has a rock subtype. It would be easily defeated with either water or fire. A Scizor, a steel and bug type, would be defeated with a good fire type."

"But we don't have any fire Pokèmon," the officer said.

"True. That is why we won't be the only ones responsible for the defeat of Mario. As I recall, Alexandra has a nasty array of dragon Pokèmon with fire type attacks. She even has a Charizard. If we could deflect her flaming attacks back at Mario's Pokèmon, then we'd win."

"How would we do that?"

Crystal pressed her lips together in annoyance. "I'm not sure yet."


	9. Chapter 9

John and Charles stood at a map. Both were trying to figure out the best way to defend against enemy forces. "Do you think they really want an all-out war?" John asked. He had been hoping that the conflict could be avoided.

Charles rubbed his chin and answered, "Probably not. I think this is all going to come down to which one has the most reasons to fight. And, sadly, I have no idea what caused the two groups to become active."

Sam, who was standing across the room, was listening to the radio transmissions. He was trying to hear anything from the Johto forces—although he doubted his radio could pick up anything from such a long distance. He would be lucky to hear anything from Pewter. _Maybe if I was in my hometown of Pallet, I wouldn't be straining this radio. Boy, Saffron has no reception._ He sighed and continued to turn the knobs on the radio.

Suddenly, a voice came across the speakers. "…..copy….I see several fences….barbed wire….." The voice was drowned by static. Sam adjusted the radio. "I'm sure they know……here. Mario is…..fool, but……..Alexandra isn't here…..no problem destroying him."

"JOHN! CHARLES!!!" Sam turned and yelled to the older men. "Someone has trouble!"

Charles and John walked to Sam and listened carefully. A female voice came across the radio. "They won't know what hit them…..Kill them…." The voice said coldly.

"Where is this being transmitted from?" Charles demanded.

Sam glanced at his charts. "Close to Mount Silver," he said.

John's eyes widened. "That's dangerously close to the Indigo Plateau and Viridian City. We might have to act fast."

"Pidgeot is right here. I can fly without much notice." Sam offered.

Charles shook his head, "Too dangerous. Besides, even if we leave now, Mount Silver is probably going to be overrun. We'd be too late."

"But what about all those people?!" Sam insisted. "They'll die!"

John sighed, "All choices here are terrible. We can't go out into battle unprepared. And that's exactly what we'd be…unprepared. We need to rely on those Pidgey." Right then, almost on cue, a Pidgey shot through the open window and landed on a chair.

"Pidgey," the bird said quietly.

Charles blinked, "The note is missing! That must mean that we will have a visitor from one of those groups."

"Maybe," John said skeptically.

Sam nodded and looked out of the window, "Let's just hope Mount Silver holds."

"It should. There is a very powerful defense up there. Mario Martelli. He's the leader up on Mount Silver. And, as I recall, he is a steel Pokèmon trainer. One tough cookie. He'll be fine!" Charles reassured Sam.

"And Alexandra is?" Sam had heard that name mentioned in that bit of transmission he had uncovered.

Charles shrugged, "Leader of the NDSJ. That's all I know."

"Alexandra? Alexandra Hoch?" John looked up from a book. "She's not just the leader of the NDSJ. She is known for public speeches and a horde of dragons. See? She's mentioned in this book." He held up the book so the others could see.

"Alexandra is in a book? Why?" Charles wondered.

"The book lists all trainers who participated in the Grand Johto War. You remember that, Charles?" John asked.

Charles shuddered, "I wish I didn't."

"What happened?" Sam leaned forward with interest.

John glanced at him and answered, "Long story short, the Grand Johto War started when a leader from one of the towns was killed. Poisoned, I believe, by an Ekans. An Ekans trained by someone from another town. Caused a riot."

Charles nodded, "This fight included all city-states in Johto. There were just so many allies and enemies. I'm going to guess that this fight that we have on our hands now is a blood feud. The NIA and NDSJ must have been spawned from the results of that bloody war."

Sam blinked, "How many died from the Grand Johto War?"

"A lot. Too many to count. Alexandra Hoch fought. And I assume her enemy did as well. Mario Martelli did too. According to this book, Alexandra was given several medals for her performance in combat. Her Pokèmon also receive high marks as well."

"Was she wounded?" Sam asked.

John answered, "Yes. She took a Weezing's Poison Gas attack and was taken out of the fight for a while. And she also sustained a dislocated shoulder."

"Ow…" Sam commented, wincing.

Charles hesitated, "And if she's involved in the fray, I pity whoever is on the opposing side."


	10. Chapter 10

"Crystal! We're closing in on Mount Silver! Are you sure you want to attack? We can back out now!!" One of the NIA's generals asked.

Crystal rolled her eyes and answered, "We're going in. Prepare the Pokèmon for combat!"

"They're ready," one of the caretakers yelled from the rear.

"Good," Crystal rubbed her hands together and smiled. "Let's let Mario know that we're knocking." She turned to Blastoise and raised an arm. "Okay. Hydro Pump!"

"Blastoise!!" The large turtle answered, revealing both cannons. With a roar, he fired a massive blast of water right at the fortress of Mario. It was a direct hit.

Crystal grinned, "That ought to have woken him up. Okay, wave one! Attack!!" She threw an arm into the air, signaling to the trainers that the time had come to annihilate Mario once and for all.

"Go! Weavile!" One of the NIA's captains yelled, flinging out a Pokèball.

"Don't hold back for a second! Destroy them all!!" Crystal yelled. She waited for the retaliation. Suddenly the ground began to shake. "The ground!!" She shouted out a warning.

"Raaaaoooorrrr!!!" Several Onix burst from the ground, hurling the people and Pokèmon into the air, and began their assault. Crystal watched as the giant rock snakes used their tails to loosen rocks from the mountainside.

"Watch out!!" She called to her troops as the Onix began to use Rock Throw. Then she turned to Blastoise. "I need you to use Protect. Keep the others safe."

The Blastoise ran at the rocks. Right before the rocks hit him; he tucked his head into his shell and took the blows with little damage. "Blastoise!" He yelled once all rocks were destroyed.

Crystal smiled and saw Mario standing on the balcony of the base. "You can't hide forever!!" She yelled. Mario seemed to look unconcerned. He shouted something and, to Crystal's shock, a wave of Charizard appeared from the mountains. She stared as the fire Pokèmon used Flamethrower to defeat the first wave of the ice Pokèmon.

"Now what do we do?" A soldier asked in horror. "We can't stand up to a bunch of Charizard."

Crystal turned to him and growled, "Do not ever talk like that! Send out the water Pokèmon! Blastoise, soak them."

"Blast!!" Blastoise agreed and began to dance. The dance, although awkward, began to bring on rain. He had used Rain Dance to give his fellow water Pokèmon the advantage. And it seemed to work. The Charizard began to weaken in the water and their tail flames began to shoot of steam.

"Feraligatr!! Use Screech to lower the Charizard's defenses!" Another trainer yelled to the massive water Pokèmon. His Feraligatr bent over and sucked in a massive amount of air. Then, with a grunt, she rose into the air and opened her mouth. A terrible screech hit the Charizard ears and caused them to panic from the awful sound.

"Now! Blastoise! Use Bubblebeam!!" Crystal yelled.

Blastoise opened the cannons again and fired. The bubbles slammed into the Charizard and caused them to faint. "Blastoise!!"

"That was too easy," a captain muttered from behind Crystal.

She nodded, "There's sometime else coming. I can feel it. Alexandra isn't here. And she should be." Right then, the ground began to rumble and she grinned, "Yup. There's something else coming. Get ready, men!"

The NIA braced themselves, but it was in vain. A massive Steelix erupted from the ground. On top of the Steelix was its trainer. Mario. He leaped from the monster and landed nimbly in front of Crystal. "You think you have won, but you haven't breached Mount Silver yet! And you won't! I'll see your head on a platter before that happens!" He yelled.

"So bold, yet so stupid. Where is Alexandra, Mario? Where is your protector?" Crystal asked in a mocking tone. "Such a shame, isn't it? You, a fully grown man, have to rely on a mere woman for protection. Pathetic!"

"Shut up! I do not rely on Alexandra for help!" Mario growled.

She smiled, "Oh? Is that so? Then tell me how all those Charizard came to be in your possession?"

Mario hesitated, "T-that's none of your business!!"

"Isn't it? Come on, Mario! Stop lying to yourself! You know that you wouldn't be under Alexandra's thumb if it wasn't for that war. The Grand Johto War that caused all of us to become enemies. As I recall, you and Alexandra were enemies. What changed?"

Mario yelled, "That's not important!! She's my ally now!"

"Oh? Are you sure she isn't just using you?" Crystal taunted.

He growled, "And look at you! No allies whatsoever! Crystal! Methinks that you need to get more friends!"

She snarled, "Now that's just cutting too close to the quick! Mario, I'm afraid you crossed the line! Prepare to die!"

"It is you who will die!" Mario yelled boldly.


	11. Chapter 11

Alexandra flew away from Mount Silver, confident that her troops would be able to hold off any attacks against the NIA if they did show up. _Let's just hope there isn't an attack. I would like to return with everyone intact_, she thought. Aerodactyl carried Alexandra lightly.

"Aero?" He asked her.

She patted his neck gently. "It's nothing. But…I do have a very bad feeling."

"Aero!" Aerodactyl agreed. He also felt worried about leaving the NDSJ in the hands of Mario. Granted, Mario was a decent leader, but he just didn't have the war experience.

"I shouldn't be worried. Mario fought well during the Grand Johto War. But…he did almost die and I had to protect him. Remember that, Aerodactyl? We were almost killed."

"Aero!" Aerodactyl remember that quite well.

Alexandra closed her eyes and began to recall that memory. She could remember the feeling of her eyes being blinded by the Weezing's gas. She could feel her throat burning as the gas choked her. Alexandra shuddered at the memory. After that event, her voice sounded slightly raspy from the damage she sustained. Yet she lived while others died.

"Aero?" Aerodactyl asked.

"I'm fine. But I still have that bad feeling. Do you think we should turn back and see if Mario is in any danger?"

"Aero," he agreed with her. He shifted his weight and flicked his tail. Slowly, Aerodactyl adjusted his flight and began to retrace his flight path back to Mount Silver.

His trainer, Alexandra, grew impatient. She was deeply concerned with Mario. _If Crystal does attack, she'll be going for the kill. No fooling around. _Her eyes strained to see the base on Mount Silver. They were still too far out. "Okay," she muttered, reaching into her jacket. "I want you guys to be careful," she said, opening the balls into the air.

The first ball released Charizard. He quickly gained a breeze to keep him aloft. His wings were spread wide and, to keep from colliding with Aerodactyl, he flew to a higher altitude. He could still hear the instructions, though.

The second ball opened to reveal Dragonite, who was flying on dainty wings. Her orange scales shimmered in the light. Since she flew faster than Charizard and Aerodactyl, she flew ahead of them.

The third ball freed Salamence. The dragon roared and released a jet of fire. He flapped hard and flew under Aerodactyl, keeping an eye out on the ground.

The forth ball released Flygon, who quickly flew up around Charizard. She spun in mid-flight and poke Charizard in the shoulder. Alexandra smiled. Flygon was flirting with Charizard and was seemingly oblivious to the fact that Dragonite and Charizard was a couple.

The final Pokèball revealed Garchomp, who quickly opened his wings and shot up into the air. He used his tail and oddly shaped head to angle his flight to be directly above Aerodactyl.

"Okay, gang, we're going to see if Mario is having any trouble. Garchomp and Dragonite? Since you two are the fastest in the air, I want you to investigate. If there is trouble, I'm sure you can handle any welcoming committees."

The two dragons shot off away from the others. Alexandra had no doubts that any Pokèmon that Crystal threw at them would be defeated swiftly was those two. Alexandra watched them go. _Let's just hope I'm wrong…_ she worried.

Slowly Mount Silver returned back into view. Her blue eyes wide, Alexandra began to make out the shapes of Pokèmon. _Damn! I was right! Mario is in danger. I have to help._ She saw that Dragonite and Garchomp had almost reached the battle. _They'll hold, _she thought with a grim sigh.

"Aero!!!!" Aerodactyl cried over his shoulder at his trainer. He nodded toward the battle below. Unlike Alexandra, Aerodactyl had keen eyesight and was able to see the combatants far below.

Alexandra closed her eyes and sighed, "Aerodactyl, I think once we get into Blastoise's range for his Hydro Pump, we're gonna get blasted. We must stay out of range. At all costs."

Charizard, Salamence, and Flygon began to separate from Alexandra. The idea was to attempt to ambush Crystal. Granted, Dragonite and Garchomp were just now reaching the range of Hydro Pump. They could hold their own. Slowly, the group began to drop out of the sky.

"Aerodactyl, I want to you shoot out the sky. That Blastoise is one of Crystal's strongest Pokèmon. If we can knock it out of the match, then the chances for us winning are very good," Alexandra said. She considered the attacks that could be used for such a speedy and dangerous attack. _If Aerodactyl doesn't pull up fast enough, we could end up smashing into the side of the mountain. I really don't want that to happen. However, if Garchomp and Flygon make a tunnel under the ground that's large enough…_ She grinned.

"Aero?" Aerodactyl asked.

She ignored him and shouted, "Flygon!!! Tell Garchomp to help you dig a tunnel under the rocks! Make it large! Get the local Tyranitar to help you!!!"

"Flygon gon!" Flygon answered and tucked her wings close. She shot toward the earth at break-neck speed.

"Now let's just hope this works," Alexandra muttered to Aerodactyl. After a few minutes, the duo had gained a decent spot for a dive. "Wait. Wait….wait……" Her voice trailed off. She was trying to give Garchomp and Flygon time to dig a good sized tunnel under the ground. With a glance at her watch, Alexandra yelled, "Giga Impact!!! Aim for Blastoise!!"

"AERODACTYL!!" The Pokèmon screamed and shut his wings tight to his body. They dropped from the sky like a stone. Alexandra held on to the ancient Pokèmon until her knuckles turned white. She knew that he had plenty of experience to pull off such a daring stunt, but that didn't mean that she wasn't terrified.

"AHHHHHH!!!" She screamed as she watched the Blastoise grow larger and larger. "AHHHHH!!!"

The speed that Aerodactyl had gained created shock waves around his body. He watched as Flygon and Garchomp flew away. They were out of danger's path. However, Blastoise wasn't.

Crystal looked up from her assault on Mario. "What's that?" She wondered as something rocketed toward her. She had no idea that the ground under her precious Blastoise had been severely weakened by the two dragons.

Suddenly, and extremely quickly, the only sound that could be heard was the ground shattering and Blastoise crying out in pain, terror, and fury. Dirt and rocks flew in all directions. "What is going on?" Mario cried, frantic. Not even he had any idea what had happened.

On the other side of the Mount Silver base, Aerodactyl burst from the ground and landed. He seemed to be dazed from the impact. Sitting on his back was Alexandra, who looked slightly stunned. She had never sat in on an attack of that magnitude. And, if she had it her way, she never would sit through a Giga Impact ever again.

"ALEXANDRA!!!" Crystal snarled in both surprise and hatred. She grew even angrier when she looked in the hole. Blastoise was lying in the bottom of the pit, bleeding and unconscious. The hit did major damage to him.

Mario smiled, "I have never been happier to see in my life! Uhhh? Alexandra? You okay?" He watched as she staggered off of Aerodactyl's back and wobbled over to a pile of rocks. Then, in surprise, watched her throw up.

Afterward, she stumbled over to his side and muttered, "Don't ever be an in-flight passenger for Giga Impact." She wiped off her mouth. It took several minutes for her to regain her senses, but they did finally return to her. "Crystal…I cannot….uhhhh, sheesh, my head is pounding," she shook her head.

"Maybe you should sit this one out," Mario suggested softly.

"No. I've got your back," Alexandra replied.

Crystal watched, bored. She had already recalled Blastoise to her Pokèball. Later she would restore him to good health. "Are we going to fight or are we going to watch Alexandra vomit again?" She yelled across the gaping hole in the ground.

"We're going to fight!!" Alexandra declared.


	12. Chapter 12

Crystal laughed, "You are going challenge me?" She raised both eyebrows when Alexandra nodded. "You're kidding! You cannot even hope to defeat me!!!" She grinned and yelled to her troops, "Don't bother coming to my aid. This battle won't take long."

Mario and Alexandra glanced at each other. "Neither one of us are strong against ice Pokèmon. What do you suggest?" Mario asked.

She shrugged, "Perhaps an all-out onslaught would suffice?"

"Sounds good here. Are you sure you're up to a battle?"

"Yeah," she answered.

Mario smiled and turned to Steelix. "Steelix, I want you to use the hole that Alexandra had so generously created for us. Go underground," he ordered. The giant steel Pokèmon bellowed and dived under the rocks.

"Oh? Using that hole again, are we?" Crystal snickered. "You fooled me once, but twice? I think not. Go!" She threw out a Pokèball. With a flash, a Walrein appeared. "I assume that this is going to be a double battle. So, I will also send out Dewgong!!" The other ice and water Pokèmon appeared.

"Two strong ice Pokèmon. What do you suggest?" Mario asked.

Alexandra considered this. "You have Steelix. Unfortunately, he isn't that strong against two Pokèmon with water sub-types. And I have nothing that can withstand ice. Wait! I have an idea! Charizard!! Go!!"

Charizard dived from a mountain and landed on the ground. Mario blinked, "Did you forget about the water sub-types? Charizard will be drowned by a well-aimed water attack."

She nodded, "I know, but if we play our cards right, we should come out of this battle in good shape. And Blastoise is already out of the battle."

Crystal yawned, "You bore me! Do you people realize that?! Okay, Dewgong and Walrein! Use Water Pulse! Aim for that Charizard!"

"Dew gong gong!" Dewgong aimed at Charizard. So did her counterpart, Walrein. They fired together. However, a massive rock erupted from the ground, blocking the blast.

"What?" Crystal gasped. Steelix exploded from the hold and roared, then ducked back underground. "Okay! Change of plain! Attack that Steelix!!"

Mario glanced at Alexandra, "I'm counting on you to help Steelix like he helped your Charizard."

"No problem! Charizard! Let's have some fun. Mario, tell Steelix to get above ground."

"Why? He's safer underground."

"He won't be by the time I'm finished. Get him out."

Mario sighed, "Steelix! Use Sandstorm to blind the eyes of Dewgong and Walrein! Get above ground." He watched as the sky was clouded by a wave of sand.

Alexandra smiled, "Good. Provides me cover too. Charizard! Fly into that hole! Get ready for my order. You know what to do." Charizard executed the task. He flew down into the hole.

Crystal yelled, "Don't settle for that! Walrein and Dewgong! Into that hold! Freeze that Charizard with Sheer Cold!"

"Bingo," Alexandra whispered as both ice Pokèmon dived into the hole. "Charizard!! Blast Burn!!!!" She cried. From the opening in the ground, all eyes watched fire leap from the hole. A massive ball of fire soared from the ground. Inside, the pained cries of Dewgong and Walrein could be heard.

"NO!" Crystal wailed, leaping to the edge of the hole. Fire still licked the ground, but she was unconcerned with being burnt. "Guys? Are you okay?! Where are you?!" She bawled.

"Deeeewwwwgong…." Dewgong's voice could be heard weakly. Being that both were of water sub-types, Blast Burn did less damage to them than it would have with a pure ice Pokèmon. Still, the attack was devastating.

Mario grinned at Alexandra and said, "Ah. So that was your idea. That was brilliant."

She nodded, "I was hoping the ground was sturdy enough to withstand Blast Burn. It would super-heat the tunnel and would cause the fire to be more intense. That is exactly what I had hoped would happen."

Crystal, on the other hand, was extremely unhappy. "DAMN YOU ALL! You will pay!!! Dewgong! Walrein! Return!!" The two weak Pokèmon climbed out of the hole weakly and returned to the safety in the Pokèballs.

"You cannot hope to win," Mario said with a grin. He glanced back at his troop and grinned, "Today we will claim victory!!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Crystal yelled. She sent out another Pokèball. "Glaceon!!"

"What-eon?" Alexandra muttered under her breath. She watched as a bluish Pokèmon stepped in front of Crystal. "What on earth is that? Looks like an Eevee."

Mario nodded, "I've heard about Eevee. Supposedly can become just about any element of Pokèmon. Talk about strange."

"Indeed," Alexandra agreed quietly. "That thing doesn't look threatening."

Crystal overheard the comments against Glaceon. "What?! How dare you mock my precious Glacion! Attack!! Use Ice Fang!!" The Glaceon charged forward and bit Charizard with her icy teeth. The large orange fire Pokèmon looked almost insulted. With a large finger, Charizard flicked the Glaceon away. That added insult to injury. "Gahhh!! C'mon, Glaceon! Attack that Charizard!!!" Crystal cried.

Alexandra and Mario glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. "This is pathetic. Crystal, you know that Charizard can annihilate your Glaceon. You know that full well. Why don't you just call a retreat?" Alexandra suggested.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Tough. Glaceon! Keep attacking that Charizard!!" Crystal yelled.

Mario blinked, "She's lost it."

Suddenly, something flew from the ground. "What's that?" Alexandra wondered, mildly concerned. Whatever it was, it wasn't friendly toward her.

Crystal smiled, "Okay, my friend, attack!!!!!"

Alexandra and Mario had no idea what was happening. Then they saw the blue scales and long whiskers. "Oh no! No!" Mario yelped as the monster Pokèmon. This beast was a little smaller than Steelix, but a Gyarados was not a Pokèmon that was to be treated lightly. And, even though Gyarados was a water Pokèmon, they could live outside of water and breath the air with little trouble.

Alexandra saw the Gyarados too. "That's new. She must have evolved a Magikarp from the Lake of Rage," she muttered.

"Oh boy. We are in _so _much trouble right now. Steelix is large, but I don't think he can withstand a Gyarados for very long." Mario whispered nervously.

Crystal laughed, "Hah! Can you handle my power? Glaceon! Gyarados! Use Ice Beam!! Aim for Steelix!" Both Pokèmon turned and fired at the massive steel Pokèmon. Granted, Steelix did have some resistance toward ice, but it wasn't enough. "Gyarados! Water Pulse!"

"Steelix!!!" Mario cried.

Gyarados obeyed his master and used the water attack. Water sprayed everywhere, soaking not only the humans but Charizard as well. The flame Pokèmon, still tired from Blast Burn, glanced at Alexandra. She glanced back and sighed, "I will not allow you to be massacred by that Gyarados. Return." She held up his Pokèball and the Charizard was sucked inside.

"HAH! Knew it! You two have nothing that can beat my Gyarados that is armed with several ice attacks! I win!!" Crystal crowed, dancing around.

Mario made a fleeting look at Alexandra and murmured, "Are we doomed? Do you have anything under your sleeve?"

"Yeah. Just one," she answered. Her eyes focused skyward and she cried, "Dragonite!! Flygon!!"

"Fly gon gon. Gon!!!" Flygon's voice could be heard from under the ground. She burst from the rocks, eyes glowing. Suddenly, and without Alexandra's order, she fired Solarbeam at the Gyarados. Then, from the sky, Dragonite dived down. Like Flygon, she didn't wait for orders. She used Thunderbolt on the Gyarados. Both attacks did a massive amount of damage for the water/flying Pokèmon. With a bellow, the Gyarados lashed out and grabbed Flygon with his fangs.

"That's right! Kill that Flygon!!" Crystal nodded eagerly.

"Goooooonnnnn!!!!" Flygon screamed in pain from within the clutches of the Gyarados. Dragonite looked like she wanted to help. Before she could even get into the air, something shot down and slammed into the back of the monster's head. Garchomp! When the Gyarados roared in pain, Flygon opened her wings and shot away. Her right wing was damaged from the teeth of the beast.

Flygon's escape didn't matter to Gyarados. However, Glaceon refused to allow the dragon to flee. "Glaceon!!" The ice Pokèmon charged at Flygon. However, while Glaceon was focused on Flygon, she didn't notice Dragonite's tail. "GLAAAAAHHHH!!" Glaceon cried when the tail slammed into her face, sending her flying.

"This is getting out of hand," Alexandra muttered to herself.

Mario nodded, "Tell me about it."

Garchomp, now in a direct conflict with Gyarados, opened both wings and cried, "Gar!" Now things were going to get ugly.


	13. Chapter 13

"Gyarados! Use Aqua Tail on Garchomp!" Crystal's voice could barely be heard over the roars of the Pokèmon on the ground. Gyarados, a dragon-like Pokèmon, was truly voracious and was willing to destroy anything it his path. His long finned tail whipped back and forth, trying to slam into Dragonite and Flygon. His head was facing Garchomp, his main threat.

Suddenly, Gyarados swung his tail hard at Garchomp. The true dragon had to drop down hard to his knees to avoid the attack. "Garchomp chomp!" He growled.

Alexandra saw the chance. "Garchomp! Use Dragon Rush!!" She cried from her position on top of a cliff. Originally she and Mario had been on the ground while the battle was taking place, but had to move higher when the battle grew more intense.

"Gar," Garchomp snarled and lowered his head. Then a blue light began to form around him. Suddenly, his wings opened and he shot up. With a roar, Garchomp slammed into Gyarados, sending the water Pokèmon flying.

Mario smiled, "Alright, Steelix! Now that Gyarados is weakened, we can attack!" He raised an arm and shouted, "Use Iron Tail!"

Steelix bellowed and raised his massive tail, which became shiny as Iron Tail began to form. Then he smashed his tail into the side of the head of Gyarados. Crystal watched as her precious Gyarados collapsed in a heap. "Oh no! Gyarados!" She cried.

Alexandra knew that the match was over. She began to count how many of Crystal's Pokèmon had been knocked out. _The first was Blastoise, then Dewgong and Walrein, then Glaceon and Gyarados. But that's just five. There must be a sixth Pokèmon on her team. I wonder what it is_, she speculated. Then she began to worry. _It's probably something huge. Bigger than that Gyarados._

Crystal smiled, "I'm sure you know full well that I'm not finished yet. I have one more Pokèmon up my sleeve." She pulled out the final Pokèball. "Mamoswine! Go!"

Mario and Alexandra watched as the large Pokèmon appeared. "Mamoswine were said to live in the Ice Age. And, according to my studies, they are brutally powerful," Mario muttered.

"What's the element of Mamoswine?" Alexandra asked. She had never seen a Mamoswine before.

"Ice and ground," he answered.

Crystal laughed, "Good bye, chumps! Mamoswine! Use Blizzard! Take 'em all out at once!"

Garchomp, Flygon, and Dragonite watched as the Mamoswine summoned a large snowstorm. Then they were all hit by the ice. "GAAAARRRR!!!" Garchomp cried over the roar of the snow.

"Garchomp! Flygon! Dragonite!" Alexandra yelped. Mamoswine's Blizzard had completely covered the dragons. "No!"

Crystal crowed, "Alright! We're winning! Mamoswine! Now use Earthquake on Steelix!!"

Mamoswime bellowed and began to stomp on the ground, creating tremors. Steelix took the brunt of the blow. Being that he was already wounded, it didn't take much to bring down the great beast. "Steelix!!" Mario shouted as the Pokèmon plummeted forward. When he hit, a great cloud of dust and rocks pelted the humans.

"Hah hah hah ha!! You cannot defeat me!" Crystal shouted.

Alexandra shot a glance at Aerodactyl. "Are you still recovering from Giga Impact?" She asked.

"Aero," he answered her. It was plainly obvious that he was still tired.

She sighed, "Look. If this battle wasn't critical, I wouldn't ask you to fight. However, Charizard is hurt. Flygon, Dragonite, and Garchomp are frozen. Only you and Salamence are left. Can you fight that Mamoswine?"

Aerodactyl hesitated. He did not want to go into battle against a Pokèmon that was much larger than he was. Granted, Aerodactyl was older and did have more battle experience, but that Mamoswine had the type advantage. "Aero…" He groaned, giving Alexandra a pathetic stare.

"Fine," she moaned. "Salamence. Come down."

The smaller dragon shot down from the sky. Salamence was Alexandra's only Hoenn Pokèmon, although he had been trained in Johto. She had caught him as a Shelgon, not as a Bagon. Therefore, Salamence could be a bit more unpredictable than the other dragons. He landed next to Alexandra and watched her with vicious eyes. Salamence was not a Pokèmon to betray nor was he a Pokèmon to underestimate. Alexandra understood the tension between her and Salamence.

Mario glanced at Alexandra. "Are you sure Salamence can handle that Mamoswine?" He asked.

Alexandra smiled, "We shall see. Won't we, Salamence?" The dragon heard her and growled. He hated having his power underrated. She laughed, "He's ready."

"Good. I'll join you. I'm sure my other Pokèmon want to get in on the action," he said with a grin. "I'm sure my Scizor would enjoy fighting alongside of your Salamence." With that, he opened up a new Pokèball and the large red Scizor appeared.

"Scizor!" The bug/steel Pokèmon cried, raising both pinchers.

Alexandra shot a glance at the Scizor and said, "That's a female, isn't it?"

"Yup. My female Scizor," Mario nodded.

"Cool," she nodded. Then, turning to Salamence, said, "That Mamoswine is a strong opponent with powerful attacks. Watch out, okay? The first attack I want you to use is Zen Headbutt. Okay?"

Salamence nodded, then opened his wings and shot down into the battle. Scizor followed closely behind. Crystal grinned, "Do you honestly think those two are strong enough to defeat Mamoswine?" She began to laugh. "Mamoswine. Use Blizzard again. Freeze them in mid-air. Who knows? Maybe they'll fall to the earth and shatter into a million pieces?"

Alexandra growled, "Now, Salamence! Zen Headbutt!!"

"Scizor! Use Iron Head!" Mario yelled.

Both Pokèmon charged at Mamoswine and dodged Blizzard. Suddenly, both Scizor and Salamence hit the giant Pokèmon. Salamence striked low and Scizor striked high, knocking Mamoswine backwards.

"Mamoswine! Don't stand for that!" Crystal bellowed at the top of her lungs. However, her Pokèmon fell over. "What? Beaten? Already?" She yelped.

Alexandra stepped forward, "That's right. You have been beaten! Now get off Mount Silver!"

Crystal smiled wickedly. "Oh I don't think so. Men!" She raised her left arm and cried, "Prepare to fire on Alexandra and Mario on my mark! Ready!"

Alexandra turned and shouted over her shoulder, "DD and DT! GET UP HERE!!!" She quickly recalled her Pokèmon back into their Pokèballs to keep them out of harms way.

Mario watched as the entire NIA and most of the NDSJ began to gather. _Oh boy, if this battle comes to a head, Mount Silver might just be leveled. How can I stop these two hot-heads from destroying everything?_

Crystal cried, "Aim!" Her men raised their guns and took aim at Mario and Alexandra.

Right then, the DD and DT appeared alongside of Alexandra and Mario. They also raised their weapons. "Get ready!" Alexandra cried.

"FIRE!!!" Crystal screamed.

"NOW!!" Alexandra screamed.

Bullets flew everywhere. Screams could be heard over the sounds of bullets hitting everything from rocks to flesh. Then a cloud of dust appeared and blocked the vision of the men. "What's going on?" They cried.

Alexandra, who had her pistol drawn, had fired a few good shots from her mountain position. "What the?" She gasped. Something had caused a massive dust storm. But what was it?

After the dust had cleared, the shooting stopped. Many people were either wounded or dead. "Seize fire!" Crystal yelled. She blinked and wondered, "What was that Pokèmon just now?" Her eyes had to strained, but she saw a large white Pokèmon flying across the sky.

Mario saw the beast too. "What on earth? It looks like a dragon or something like that. Mainly white, but with a darker underside, and a long tail and neck. I have never seen such a Pokèmon before!"

Crystal, now frightened by the creature, turned and yelled, "Fall back!" Then she faced Alexandra and Mario. "Know this: I am not giving up. I will not stop until both of you are dead. Do you understand? Dead!" With that, she turned and retreated with her men and beaten Pokèmon.

Alexandra glanced at Mario and said, "Now that she's down for the time, I'm going to heal my team and then go to Kanto for that meeting."

"Sounds good here," he answered, watching her turn to leave. "Alexandra?"

She turned around. "Hmm?"

"Thanks."

She smiled, "Your welcome."


	14. Chapter 14

Back at Saffron, John, Charles, and Sam had been waiting for word from anyone about the attack on Mount Silver. They feared the worst, but knew that Mario was a strong man. "Sam? Check the radio again. See if you can hear anything from Mount Silver," John said.

Sam dialed in the radio and listened. After a minute or so of static, a male voice came across the speakers. Not just a male voice, but screams and gunfire. "What the hell is that?!" The voice cried. There was more gunfire. "It's huge!!!"

Charles listened to the voice and muttered, "I wonder what's huge."

John began to speak, but was interrupted by the phone. "I wonder who's calling…" he muttered, walking to the ringing phone. "Hello?" Sam listened to John's conversation. He saw his mentor's eyes widen with shock. "What?!" John gasped. "The Brass Tower in Ecruteak City burnt down? How? When?"

Charles turned sharply and growled, "That Brass Tower stands beside the Tin Tower. Those were the homes of two legendary Pokèmon. I wonder what happened to them."

"Are the Pokèmon dead?" Sam wondered.

John listened to the phone. "I see. So the NDSJ and the NIA had nothing to do with this? I suppose that's good." With that, he hung up. "Bad news. The Brass Tower is gone and the two guardians are missing. Seems that Ho-oh took off in one direction and Lugia went in a totally different one. Perhaps that frantic message we just heard meant that Lugia flew by Mount Silver?"

"Maybe," Charles answered, "but how did the tower burn?"

John shrugged, "I have no idea. No one has an idea. The fire was mysterious. All that we do know is that it had nothing to do with our battling groups."

Sam blinked. _How can that be possible? A mysterious fire? The two towers of Ecruteak succumbing to that fire? I bet the city is in an uproar over this_, he thought bitterly.

"Are they going to rebuild the tower?" Charles asked, disrupting Sam from his thoughts. "I mean, the Brass Tower was truly a marvel of construction. The citizens of Ecruteak probably don't want a pile of ash sitting right outside of their door."

John shook his head, "They're not going to rebuild it. At least, not right now. They lack funding and sources."

"Oh well that's just wonderful," Charles muttered sarcastically.

Sam glanced at the clock on the wall. It was getting late. "Well, guys, I think I should be getting to bed. Hopefully one of the leaders from the Johto forces will come and we can resolve our differences with a nice and friendly conversation."

"Don't hold your breath," Charles warned with a sigh.

"Exactly. We're meeting with them on peaceful terms, but that does not mean that they will cooperate." John agreed with a frown.

Sam sighed and went to his loft. He laid on his back and closed his eyes. _I wish that one of those groups would negotiate for peace. This fighting is crazy. And the only result a war like this can have is utter destruction._ He sighed heavily and rolled to his side. _Maybe we'll get lucky and one of the leaders will come tomorrow. _

Meanwhile, back down in the main office, Charles and John were busy discussing the predicament. "So what if they come with an unfriendly attitude?" John asked. He was preparing for the worst case scenario. There was a strong possibility that the leaders would not take the meeting as an attempt for peace. _They'll probably think that we're trying to lower their guards and attack,_ he thought.

"If they come at us a little too hostile, then we will have no choice but chase them off. We can't have them attacking the citizens of Saffron City. Or any other part of Kanto, for that matter," Charles added, exhaling noisily, and glanced at the window. "Maybe things won't be as we think they'll be."

"And what's that? Bad?" John grumbled. "Let's look at our two leaders for a second. Alexandra, as we know, is a professional trainer. She's been in more battles than we can shake a stick at. Do you know anything else about her?"

Charles thought for a minute before answering, "She's dangerous. Hold on, I think I have a recording somewhere in my bag from one of her speeches." He walked away from John and reached into his bag. After a moment of rummaging through his stuff, he pulled out a videotape. "Here we go. I got this through my spies. They infiltrated one of Alexandra's speeches before she gained power in Blackthorn City."

"So she's trying to be nice?" John asked.

Charles nodded and placed the video in the player. He pushed 'play' and sat on a stool next to John. For a few seconds, the video was fuzzy. Then the image grew sharper and understandable. The screen showed a massive group of people and Pokèmon alike. Then the crowd began to cheer as a figure entered the stage. The screen showed a close-up image of the figure. It was Alexandra, dressed in a uniform.

"That's the early designs of the NDSJ uniform. I wish this film was in color," Charles muttered quietly.

Suddenly, the crowd hushed in the film. Alexandra had raised her hands to silence them. She was getting ready to speak. "Today we have accomplished something that has never been possible before. Our message of dragon dominance has reached the outskirts of Kanto. This is indeed quite an accomplishment. Isn't it?" She asked the crowd.

"YES!!!" The crowd screamed back.

Alexandra shifted her weight and nodded, "Exactly. Today I bring not only good news. I also bring news that we have an enemy that is closer than we might like." The crowd murmured nervously. "HAH! Have no fear, fellow citizens of Blackthorn! The National Dragon Squad of Johto will squelch this threat. Dragon trainers are far stronger than other trainers. Our Pokèmon are superior!"

"YES!!!" The crowd cheered wildly.

Alexandra raised both of her arms in a dramatic stance. "Dragons will conquer Johto! We shall continue to spread our message until all Johto gyms contain dragons! Then….once we are finished here….we will spread all over the world!!!"

"YES!!!!" The crowd roared in excitement.

By that time, John had had enough. "Okay, this Alexandra is a nut job. She's already said that she plans on attacking Kanto. Not just Kanto, but the world. We can't allow her to do that!"

Charles nodded, "I agree." He popped out the videotape and sighed, "We just need to see who the other leader is. That way we could tell which of them is worst."

"Worst? Worst than….that?" He pointed at the television. "Alexandra must be stopped."

"But what about the other? With our idea, we're going to attack one of them by joining the other. What if the other one is worst?"

John sighed, "I just don't know, Charles."


	15. Chapter 15

Crystal stormed away from the battle at Mount Silver. She hated to admit that she had been defeated, but that's exactly what had happened. She was beaten by her arch-rivals. _Dammit, I must defeat them. I must! _She thought, growling angrily.

"Are you alright?" One of her grunts asked. He had been wounded, but it was a light injury. A bullet had scraped his arm. No big deal. And he knew better than to whine while Crystal was nearby.

Crystal snapped her head toward him and punched him on the wound. The man cringed in pain and groaned softly, knowing that if he screamed he could be killed. She smirked at him and stormed off, still in a rage. It pleased her, though, to cause others pain. It took her mind off of her own misery. Then she remembered the carrier Pidgey that had informed her that she was summoned for a meeting with a couple of leaders for Kanto. "General. I have been summoned to greet a few weaklings from Kanto. I am leaving you in charge. Do you understand what that means?" She asked the large man.

The general nodded, "Yes. I will maintain our position until you return." He also realized that if he screwed up, she could kill him.

"Good. I am leaving." She turned to leave.

"Crystal? Your Pokèmon are not healed," the general pointed out.

She jerked toward him and growled, "What? My Pokèmon are not weak! They have no reason to be healed! Only the weak are healed!" She stared at him coldly. However, she did not harm him. She turned and walked away.

The general watched her fade out of sight. Then he yelled, "Men! It's time for…rest! Everyone take a break!" The NIA collapsed in a heap and began to check out their wounds.

Meanwhile, Crystal made her way toward what she hoped was the path that would lead her to Kanto. In order to make her way into Kanto, however, she would have to pass into enemy territory. That was not a major concern. _I can destroy anything that gets into my way,_ she thought with a dark grin. She continued to make her way down the path, but stopped. Her eyes narrowed. She could sense that she was being watched.

From behind a rock, she could hear the sound of something whimpering. Crystal approached and peered at what it was. She gasped. Behind the rock was a Pokèmon that she had only seen in books. Her eyes narrowed at the little Celebi. "Bi?" The Pokèmon blinked at her.

Crystal grinned, then noticed that the Celebi was wounded. "What is this? A weak Celebi? A weak Celebi should not be allowed to live!" With that, she grabbed a pack of matches from her pocket and struck one against a rock.

"Bi!" The Celebi yelped, flapping its wings weakly.

"Stay right there. This will be over soon…" Crystal moved the match closer to the Pokèmon.

The Celebi struggled to escape. "BI! Celebi!!" It screamed at the top of its lungs. Right then, a mass of vines shot up out of the ground and slapped the match away from Crystal's hands.

"Why you little…!" Crystal growled, reaching for the Celebi with her hands.

"Bi!" Celebi yelped, sending more vines shooting out of the ground.

Crystal continued to make grabs for the Celebi, but grew tired after a while. "Damn. I'm tired and I still have to walk to Kanto. Stupid Celebi…" She glanced down and growled. "Very well. I will leave you alone. Stupid Pokèmon." With that, she continued down the path that would lead her to Kanto.

Meanwhile, back at Mount Silver, Mario and Alexandra were examining the wounds of the troops. Many people had been severely damaged. "Hold still. It's okay," Alexandra said to one of her troops, using a pair of tweezers to pick a bullet fragment out of the man's shoulder.

"Thanks," he groaned.

Mario looked at Alexandra and muttered, "Good battle. We fight well as a team."

"True. That much we do. I am worried though. I mean, Crystal probably won't be discouraged from her defeat. She'll just attack us ever stronger the next time." She stitched up the wound and smiled, "Okay. Finished."

The man walked away. Mario watched him leave and said, "I'm not too worried. Now that I've seen us fight together, she doesn't stand a chance. Right? Right?"

"Yeah. I suppose." She muttered, glanced at the setting sun.

Mario tried to catch her eye. "What is it?"

"Just thinking about going to Kanto."

"Oh yeah. I nearly forgot. I'm glad you haven't. When do you think you'll go?"

She hesitated, "Soon. Do you think you can clean up here?"

"Yes. Not a problem if you want to go."

"Excellent. I'll be on my way, then." Alexandra stood up and brushed the dirt from her clothes. "Mario. Good luck." She said, then turned and whistled.

"AERO!" Aerodactyl cried. He had been refreshed from the battle. He flew down and landed neatly on the ground next to Alexandra.

"Let's go!" Alexandra called. The duo flew up into the sky and out of sight.


	16. Chapter 16

Midnight. The moon shown high over the top of the mountains as Aerodactyl and Alexandra made their way over the mountains that surrounded Mount Silver. They were leaving behind the familiar territory that was Johto and entering Kanto. For a while, Alexandra had considered invading the region; however, that thought had long since passed by. She used the threat of invasion in order to become popular amongst her fellow dragon users. _Oh well, looks like I'm going to be going into Kanto on a diplomatic mission rather than one of war,_ she thought, biting her lower lip.

"Aero?" Aerodactyl glanced at his master.

She smiled and patted his head. "Don't worry, my friend. Everything will be fine. Mario is holding his own at Mount Silver. He can handle Crystal's attacks. And who knows where Crystal is? She might be lying in a ditch somewhere with shame all over her face from her loss."

The Pokèmon nodded and flapped toward a thermal. The air current filled his wings and carried at an even higher altitude. The feeling was pleasant. Alexandra looked down at the distant ground. She could see a herd of Ponyta and Rapidash grazing in a field. However, all they were to her was merely flaming specks. She could see their burning mains and that was it. Then she began to wonder how fast a Rapidash could travel in an all out dash.

"Aero?" Aerodactyl noticed something up ahead.

"Hmmm?" Alexandra looked up as well. "What on earth is that?" She wondered, staring. Then she realized that they had flown into Spearow and Fearow territory. "Uh-oh. Aerodactyl, stay on guard. Spearow have dangerous tempers and we really don't want to make them angry."

Aerodactyl watched as the flock of Spearow flew up to greet the intruder. "SPEAROW!" They cried out in a slightly aggressive manner.

"FEAROW!" From above, a large Fearow soared. Its wide brown wings were open and it, like Aerodactyl, was riding thermals.

Alexandra eyed the flock of Spearow and muttered, "I just hope they leave us along. Granted, we can defeat 'em, but I'd rather not take a risk." She watched the short-winged birds flap their way higher into the sky. "Aerodactyl? Is there a chance that you can lose them?"

"Aero," he nodded.

"Good. Let's go!" She yelled.

Aerodactyl flapped harder and began to gain speed. Suddenly, a Spearow shot down from the sky and plowed beak first into the rock hard Aerodactyl. The hit did minor damage to Aerodactyl, but did major damage to Spearow. A small piece of beak had been chipped from the collusion. "Spear. ROW!" The wounded bird screamed at the top of its lungs. It wanted everyone to know that it had been hurt.

Alexandra watched in horror as the allies of the Spearow, which was the entire flock, shot up from below. They rammed Aerodactyl in a fury of feathers and beaks. "Aero!" Aerodactyl wailed. He wasn't receiving much damage, but he was becoming angry. Without warning, he opened his mighty jaws and lunged. The movement nearly knocked Alexandra from his back.

"What are you doing?!" She roared, holding on to the Pokèmon for dear life.

He ignored her. With a roar, he snapped up one of the enemy Spearow in his mouth. "SPEAROW!!" The bird screamed and struggled to escape.

"Aero….." Aerodactyl used his razor sharp fangs to tear into the Spearow, causing blood to seep from the bird.

"ROW! ROW!" The captured Spearow continued to struggle. However, it was growing weaker.

Alexandra, watching the chaos, slammed both fists on Aerodactyl's neck. "Let it go! Do you hear me?! Let it go!" She ordered, but she knew that once the blood-thirsty Aerodactyl had received a taste of blood, he would not stop his rampage until he tired.

"Spearow….." The Spearow groaned as Aerodactyl's fangs clamped down harder. Unexpectedly, though, Aerodactyl released the bird. The Spearow tumbled out of the air until the Fearow caught it and carried it away.

Alexandra sighed heavily and said, "You really should control yourself. You could have killed that thing!" She noticed that the bird flock had retreated. "I guess you scared them off, though. That's good. Now let's go to Saffron City!" Aerodactyl agreed and began to fly at top speeds toward the city. Alexandra looked down at her map. "So that must be Pewter City. And we need to go southeast slightly, and then we should see Celadon. Saffron is the next city over."

"Aero," he agreed and angled his wings to fly toward the southeast. They were making good time. Indeed they were. It was only beginning to be dusk when they left Mount Silver. Now it was nightfall, which made Alexandra wonder why birds that thrived in the day would attack at night.

_Probably a territory issue…_ she thought. _At least it's a warm night. Without these thermals, we'd be lagging in stale air._

Aerodactyl focused his vision on several lights off in the distance. "Aero?" He realized that they had already passed Pewter City and were already well on their way toward Celadon. "Aerodactyl!!"

Alexandra noticed this too. "Eh? Ah! Celadon! Aerodactyl? Would you mind landing when we reach the city? I have heard that there is a wonderful market there and we do need supplies."

"Aero?"

"Hmm? Like vitamins and stuff like that. You guys too one heck of a beating in that last battle with Crystal. Flygon and Garchomp are still in poor shape. We need something that will liven you all up." Alexandra smiled. "And if you are really good, I'll buy you a treat! How does a soda sound?"

"AERO!" Aerodactyl agreed in a cheery voice. He loved getting treats, especially soda.

She laughed gently and patted his neck. "Good. Now let us be on our way. And remember our little visit. Don't overshoot our target."

He nodded and began to swoop in to land near the city limits. Other Pokèmon saw the landing and panicked. They had never seen an Aerodactyl before. At least, none that was alive. "Rattata!" A lone Rattata dipped under some bushes in an attempt to escape.

"Aerodactyl!" Legs extended, Aerodactyl flared hard and landed neatly on the ground. "Dactyl…"

Alexandra hopped off and glanced back. "You stay here. I won't be long. Remember, if anyone comes by who even _looks_ suspicious; kill 'em." With that, she made her way into Celadon City.

Aerodactyl watched her leave, and then closed his eyes. He deserved a good nap.


	17. Chapter 17

Crystal stormed down the valleys and ravines of the Mount Silver mountain range. Unlike her rival, Alexandra, she was not even close to reaching Celadon City. Or Kanto, in fact. She was still lagging behind in Johto territory. "Damn. This is taking too long. I wish I could have captured that Celebi from earlier. Maybe it could have teleported me…" She panted. She wandered deeper into the mountains, then spotted a cave out of the corner of her eye.

"What is this? Maybe this cave is a shortcut?" She wondered, staggering toward the cave. A Diglett popped up from the ground and accidently tripped Crystal. "Gah! STUPID DIGLETT!!" She roared and tried to kick the mole.

"Diglett!" The Diglett retreated back into the ground, making Crystal miss and stumble.

She snarled and continued to make her way toward the cave. However, she did not expect it to be pitch black inside. "Well, I guess I should have expected that. It is night. Too bad I don't have any fire Pokèmon." Crystal walked inside and, blindly, grabbed the side of the rocks. She staggered around, feeling for a path. The rocks were slimy and cold. Crystal could smell moisture, but had no idea if there was an water source in the cave.

"Dug!" A voice echoed from deep within the cave.

"Who's there?" Crystal yelped, feeling around. She was trying to feel if anything was in front of her. However, she lost her footing and tumbled forward. Being that she was unable to see anything, she had no idea how long it took until she splashed into an underground stream. All she knew was that it hurt.

"Wonderful…" Crystal muttered, trying to stay afloat. Then she realized that she had her Blastoise on her. _I hope he's feeling better after that battle…_she thought, releasing Blastoise.

"Blast!" He rumbled. Crystal could not see him, though.

Crystal coughed as she tried to float. "Blastoise. I know you can't see, but we have got to find a way out of here." She reached out and grabbed a hold of the shell. Slowly, and blindly, Blastoise swam down the waterway, occasionally bumping into the wall or hitting a boulder. "The water is beginning to speed up," she noted. She could feel the water current tugging at her harder.

"Blastoise…" Blastoise agreed, and prepared for the worst. He could sense that there was a large drop-off ahead. "Blast…" He warned and tucked his head within his shell. Crystal had no idea what was about to happen.

"Boy, it's getting loud…I wonder what's up ahead." Crystal began to worry. Then she reached out with her hand, trying to feel if something was in the way. She could feel nothing up mist. No water. Nothing. "A waterfall!!!!!" Crystal screamed as she and Blastoise plummeted toward the water below.

Meanwhile, Alexandra walked down the streets at Celadon City. The city was busy: people were running to and fro; music was playing from a nearby restaurant; young trainers were playing with their Pokèmon. It was a busy city and made Alexandra miss her beloved Blackthorn City. _One day I will return that city to its former glory,_ she promised herself.

"Excuse me, miss?" A voice asked Alexandra.

She turned and saw an older woman with a younger boy. They looked like they were rich. "Yes?" She asked politely.

"Could you help us find our precious Arcanine? He has gone missing again on our vacation." The woman spoke with an accent that had a ring of the South.

Alexandra blinked in confusion. "Sure. No problem." She agreed with a smile.

The boy smiled, "Thank you! I won't forget this."

Alexandra smiled and ruffled the bluish hair that the boy had. "You can thank me when we find that Arcanine. It shouldn't be too hard considering the size of that Pokèmon. However, we might need some help. Garchomp! I chose you!"

The ball flashed and the large dragon Pokèmon stood, ready for orders. "Gar chomp chomp."

"Garchomp, would you help us find a missing Arcanine?" Alexandra asked.

The dragon nodded and opened his wings. "Garchomp!!" He yelled, flying up and into the crowd.

"If anyone can find that missing Arcanine, it'll be him. He's very skilled at finding things. And he is wonderful at fighting. Don't worry," Alexandra smiled.

The boy and his mother nodded. "We appreciate your help. You don't know how hard it is finding help here in a big city."

"Believe me, I know. I grew up in a big city. I know just how hard it is trying to get strangers to help." She grinned and pointed west. "You see," she said to the boy, "I live just over the horizon. Maybe one day you will get a chance to see my home. One day."

"That would be wonderful," the boy said. He was acting very gentlemanly. Alexandra was impressed. The boy had bluish hair and large green eyes. She could tell that he would one day grow up to be a rich snob, but that was a while in the future.

"Gar!" Garchomp shot by overhead and landed neatly near Alexandra. "Gar chomp chomp!"

"You found that Arcanine?" Alexandra asked. The dragon nodded. "Excellent! Lead the way!"

Garchomp returned to the air, flying slower and lower than before. Alexandra, the boy, and his mother chased the dragon into an alleyway. "What's this?" Alexandra gasped. The Arcanine was there, but so was an entire pack of Houndoom. And they had the Arcanine cornered.

"Archy!!!" The boy wailed.

"'Archy?' What kind of a name is that for an Arcanine?" Alexandra looked puzzled. Then she shook her head. "Never mind. Garchomp! Help Arcanine!"

"His name is Archy…" The boy growled.

The pack of Houndoom turned and growled at Garchomp, but the dragon was not frightened. "Garchomp! Use Dragon Rush!"

"Gar…." Garchomp lowered his body and shot forward. The blow connected with a Houndoom. The others dodged and used Flamethrower. "Gar!" The dragon yelped in surprise, then twisted hard and slammed his tail into one of the Houndoom. It was not a traditional attack, but it would have to do.

"Garchomp, don't settle for that! Use Dig!" Alexandra yelled.

The dragon nodded, then took off underground. The Houndoom sniffed the ground, trying to find the dragon. Then, with a roar, Garchomp shot up out of the ground and knocked away several of the Houndoom. This action gave Arcanine just enough time to escape.

"Archy!" The boy yelled, running toward the Arcanine. "I'm so glad you found him! Thank you so much!"

"Don't worry about it," Alexandra smiled.

The mother looked at her and asked, "We didn't catch your name. Who are you again?"

After a moments thought, Alexandra replied, "You may call me…Jessiebelle." She did not want to give away her real name.

"Ah! We will never forget you!" The mother said with a gentle smile.

The boy nodded, "Maybe when I am old and have a son, I will find a girl with your name and marry him off to her. Jessiebelle!"

Alexandra smiled, "Right. Sure. Well then, I'll see you around."

"Bye!!" The mother and boy waved as Alexandra walked into the market and vanished into the crowd.


	18. Chapter 18

"AHHHHH!!!" Crystal screamed, hitting the water once more. She had been through at least seven waterfalls since her entrance into the cave. At least she was outside now. She could see. "Noooooooo!!!" She yelped, slamming into a rock. Blastoise floated nearby, trying his best to reach his master. During one of the many falls, Crystal had fallen from Blastoise and was now swimming for dear life.

"Blast! Blastoise!" The water Pokèmon cried to his trainer.

Crystal coughed and reached out for a tree branch that was touching the water's surface. "Come on. REACH!!" She urged herself on, grabbing the branch with her right hand. The current nearly caused her to lose her grip, though, but she hung on.

Blastoise dived underwater and used his sharp claws to help dig him along the bottom of the river. He slowly emerged from the water, lifting Crystal up with his shell. Once he was sure that she had her footing, he rose up even further from the water. "Blast!" He bellowed, using his strength to knock her out of the water.

"Gah!" Crystal yelped, tumbling head-first into the dirt. But she had never been so glad to see dirt. "Ah! The ground!" She cheered, wobbling to her feet. "Blastoise! Return!" She held up the Pokèball and the water Pokèmon was absorbed back into the ball. "Thank you," she said softly, then placed the ball back on her belt.

Now that she was back on land, Crystal needed to figure out where she was. "Now where is that map?" She rummaged through her wet jacket and found what was left of a piece of paper. "Oh man. Was this the map?" She wondered. With a sigh, Crystal began to walk with no idea where she was going. However, the sun was just beginning to rise. She was heading east.

_Going this way, I should run into someone soon,_ she thought. Her eyes focused on the sun. "Jeez, I am so tired. Who knew falling from waterfalls would be so exhausting?" She found a tall tree and sat down underneath it. _I'm going to take a nap. That meeting can wait for a while._

Meanwhile, back in Celadon, Alexandra had finished her shopping. She had bought several cans of food, a container of Pokèfood, a healing potion, several medical supplies, and a soda for Aerodactyl. "Sheesh, I spend more money than I had originally intended," she muttered, returning to Aerodactyl's side. "Aerodactyl! I'm back!" She announced, then noticed that the ancient Pokèmon was sleeping.

"Aero….Dactyl…..Aero…." Aerodactyl muttered in his sleep.

Alexandra smiled and placed her bags next to his left wing. "I guess it's been a long day. Sleep would feel…wonderful." With that, she laid down next to Aerodactyl and closed her eyes. She listened to the sounds of the Hoothoot and Noctowl and began to drift off into sleep.

Then, sometime during the night, something poked Alexandra in the shoulder. "Eh? Huh? Wha?" Alexandra opened one of her eyes and glanced at the idiot who woke her up. "Hmmm?" She sat up.

"Mew?"

"What the?" Alexandra looked around. She heard something, but couldn't see it. "Where are you?" She called.

"Mew."

Alexandra shot a glance at Aerodactyl. He was still sleeping. A stream of drool was coming from his mouth. "Well, I know it's not him. Who could it be?" She stood up and began to look from the person or Pokèmon who was making such a sound. "Where are you?" She called again.

Right then, something appeared in front of her. "Mew!" It said.

"What on earth are you?" Alexandra asked. She had never seen such an odd looking creature in all her life. It was pink in color with blue eyes and a long tail. Even though it didn't have any wings, it floated.

"Mew?" It looked at her, and then floated upside down.

Alexandra smiled. "Well aren't you cute? What a little Pokèmon."

The Pokèmon floated next to her and touched her head. Suddenly, a batch of images appeared in her mind. "Mew," it said softly. Images. Various images of things that were yet to come appeared.

"What is this?" She gasped. Alexandra saw herself inside of an underground bunker. She saw the shadows of someone approaching. She could feel the dread of defeat. Then, in another flash, Alexndra saw herself with a man. The man looked very intelligent. He wore a white lab coat and was running tests. In a third flash, she saw a boy with reddish brown hair battling a boy with black hair and a hat. There was an Umbreon and a Pikachu. _What is this?_ She wondered.

Then they were gone. "Mew," the Pokèmon looked up at her.

"What was that? Was that the future?"

"Mew," it nodded.

Alexandra looked at the ground. "So you know if I fail. Do I?" The Pokèmon shrugged and teleported away. "I see. I can only see some of what the future has in store for me." With that, she woke up Aerodactyl. "I'm sorry, my friend, but we need to fly."

"Aero," he nodded and stretched out his wings. Once he was ready, Alexandra hopped on his back. She had the bag of medicine and goodies in her lap.

"To Saffron!" She yelled.


	19. Chapter 19

Sam looked out of the window at the lab. It was nearly noon and John was fixing lunch. The smell of Miltank patties frying on the stove was almost too much for the professor in training. "Man, I am so hungry. How much longer?" He asked John.

"Not much. Do you want yours medium done or well done?" John asked. He hadn't even looked up from the burgers.

Charles was sitting near a table. His elbow was on top of the table and his head rested against his hand. He looked slightly bored. "I can only wonder what those two groups are doing now. It's been several days since we sent out those carrier Pidgey and they have all delivered their messages," he muttered.

"Do you have to keep bringing that up? Yes, perhaps they did ignore our requests but perhaps they are just slow on leaving. They might be on their way now," John said. His voice sounded a little stressed.

Sam continued to stare out of the window. _Wait…what's that?_ He watched something flying in the air. And it was approaching fast. "John! Something's coming!"

The older man nearly leaped across the room in order to see what it was that Sam seeing. "What on earth is that?" He gasped.

Charles stood up and walked to the window. "Eh? Looks like a winged something. It isn't a Pokèmon that I've ever seen before."

John closed his eyes as he was thinking. Then he glanced up again. The Pokèmon was getting closer by the second. "Maybe it's one of our guests? Perhaps that is a Pokèmon from Johto?"

"Certainly isn't one from Hoenn…" Charles muttered under his breath.

The strange Pokèmon swooped in and landed neatly on the ground outside of the lab. Sam noticed a woman leaping from the back of the beast. "That thing looks like an Aerodactyl," he pointed out.

"NO WAY! That is utterly impossible. Aerodactyl have been extinct since ancient times. There is no possible way that one of them was resurrected. No way. The technology doesn't exist," John said forcefully. He looked fairly stunned.

Charles rubbed the back of his head and said, "Well, I guess you can just ask her what that Pokèmon is. She's walking to the door now."

Sam jumped to his feet and bolted to the door. He waited until she was almost to it, and then opened it. The woman looked at Sam and smiled. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," Sam said shyly. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Her long brown hair and big blue eyes were almost too much for him.

The woman grinned and said, "Aren't you going to ask me inside?"

Sam's eyes widened. "Oh yes! Sure! Come in!" He moved aside so that she could enter into the room. "Did you have a nice flight?" He asked.

"Yes. It was interrupted by a flock of Spearow, but that didn't delay us too much," she answered.

"Oh. And you're okay?"

"Yes. Perfectly fine."

"Good."

The woman smiled again and approached the two older men. "Sirs, I do believe that you summoned me here. And I am here." Her voice transformed from extremely soft to extremely hard. It was obvious that she did not want to be there.

"Alexandra Hoch. Good. I'm glad that someone of your caliber could make the journey from Blackthorn to here. It shouldn't be a surprise though. Your reputations have been heard all over the world. Am I right?" John asked.

She shrugged, "I suppose."

"Not only has your reputation preceded you, but your messages of conquest and dragon rule. We asked you to come so we can figure out what kind of person you are." Charles added.

Alexandra looked confused. "So I am here because you can't tell what kind of person I am? Oh come on! Is that all?" She sounded annoyed.

"No. We know that you have a rival. We want to know more."

"Sounds like you already know enough. Why do you need me to just give you data that you already know?" Alexandra asked.

John and Charles glanced at each other. They were not expecting Alexandra to behave in such an irritable manner. "Well…" John began.

"Or perhaps you are trying to probe for weaknesses that I might have? Well, I will let you know one thing: there isn't any! That's why dragons are the best," Alexandra growled.

"Easy! Relax! We are not trying to anger you. We are just trying to understand the NDSJ. That's all." Charles tried to sooth Alexandra's temper.

She seemed to settle down a bit. "Oh. Well, the National Dragon Society of Johto is a group of trainers and dragon Pokèmon. We fight for what we believe in and we do not give in for any reason. We are born warriors and, one day, legends will be formed from our struggles."

"So you think that you will be immortalized by these stories?" Charles asked.

Alexandra nodded, "Yes. I mean, look at all the great people and Pokèmon from the past. They're dead, but they have been immortalized by their legends. That's what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about being zombies or anything ridiculous."

"I see. And what of your Pokèmon?"

"What of them?"

"Are you treating them good?"

Alexandra blinked, then growled, "Of course! What kind of monster do you think I am?! Mistreating Pokèmon is terrible!"

John agreed, "That's very true, but have you considered the Pokèmon that you've defeated or destroyed?"

She hesitated, "But that's different!"

"How?"

"Uh…uh…" She had no idea what to say. "They are casualties of war."

"Bull…" Charles called her bluff.

She snapped her head toward him. "What did you say?"

Charles stood up and walked toward Alexandra. "That is one lame excuse. I don't know if you enjoy killing enemy Pokèmon, but it is still wrong. It doesn't matter if they are friend or foe."

Alexandra leaned forward and hissed, "Don't you EVER talk to me like that again! Do you understand me?"

John smiled grimly, "Well that gives us our answer. Alexandra, it was nice to meet you. You may leave."

Alexandra was never happier to leave someplace. Right before she got to the door, she turned and said, "However, it is the NDSJ policy that we protect our friends no matter what the cost. We will fight for them. Die for them. Kill for them. It doesn't matter." With that, she opened the door and walked out.

Charles shot a look at John. "What do you think?"

"I don't trust her. Too much data is missing," he remarked. Then he looked around the room. "Where did Sam go?"


	20. Chapter 20

Sam followed Alexandra out of the building. "Wait!" He called to her. _Boy, if John or Charles found out about this, they are going to be so mad at me…_ he thought.

Alexandra turned to face Sam. "What?" Her voice was still very sharp and she had a look of anger in her eyes. Suddenly, her expression lightened and she sighed, "Sorry. I know that it is not your fault that those two men are complete idiots."

"They're not really idiots, but they do have standards. However, I find that you made several interesting statements. We don't know everything about the NDSJ. We were hoping that you could provide some insight into that organization."

She smiled, "I see."

"So, Alexandra, is that an Aerodactyl?" Sam asked.

"Yes. That's Aerodactyl. And I know what you're going to ask next. Yes, I did resurrect him from a very old fossil. I managed to invent a machine that can extract the DNA from fossils and resurrect them. However, it still has plenty of glitches in it and doesn't work half the time. I am hoping to fix the glitches and get it to running full-time."

Sam was truly impressed. "Wow! Really? That's so cool! I'm Sam Oak, by the way. I don't think I've introduced myself."

"And I haven't introduced myself either. I'm Alexandra Hoch," she said with a smile.

Sam rubbed the back of his head and looked shyly at her. "I'm sorry that things didn't go so well with Charles and John. They are just looking out for Kanto. That's all."

Alexandra nodded, "I understand that, but I don't like being considered an enemy. I'm sure that they sent out an invitation to Crystal. It makes sense, I guess. I mean, certainly John and Charles want to learn as much as they can about each of us before decided which side to join."

Sam's mouth dropped open slightly. "How did you know about that?"

She rolled her eyes and replied, "I know these political moves. It's a test and I probably failed my test."

"How do you know that?" Sam asked.

Alexandra shrugged, "Those two made it obvious. Anyway, talking about fools like them make me angry. And I think I have something for you. I was meaning to give it to those idiots, but I think you can use it more. Here." With that, Alexandra rummaged through her pockets until she felt a smooth surface. It was a Pokèball. "Here. Take this. I can't use it and I'm sure you'd make a wonderful trainer."

Sam took the ball from Alexandra and looked at it. "What's inside?" He asked.

"A Pokèmon that is one of the NDSJ mascots and it's the offspring of my Dragonite and Charizard. Believe me, you will like her."

"It's a female?"

"Yes."

Sam opened the Pokèball and a Dratini was released. "Oh WOW! A Dratini! I've never seen one of them before—at least, not in real life." He called back the dragon to her Pokèball. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

She smiled, "No problem. Oh, I'm sure that you want to meet my team, right?"

"Yes!" Sam nearly yelled. Then he blushed, "I mean, sure."

Alexandra smiled slowly and turned to Aerodactyl. "You've already met Aerodactyl. He's my primary mode of transportation as well as a good friend of mine."

Aerodactyl raised his wings and cried, "Aerodactyl!"

Sam watched as Alexandra released her other five Pokèmon. "There's Charizard. He's your Dratini's father. Next to him is Dragonite, his mate. Then there is Salamence, Flygon, and Garchomp."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." Sam said in a pleasant voice. He was truly honored to meet the dragon Pokèmon.

Alexandra smiled, "Well, Sam, it was a pleasure to meet you. I must be on my way, but I hope that one day we will see each other again." With that, she turned and, after returning all Pokèmon back to their Pokèballs, she got on Aerodactyl's back. "Farewell!" She cried as Aerodactyl flew into the sky and out of sight.

Sam watched in awe. Then he noticed that someone was watching him. "Charles? John?" He turned and found both older men shaking their heads.

"Sam, you fool. What are you doing talking to a dangerous woman? She could kill you." Charles pointed out with a heavy sigh.

Sam glared at Charles and quickly said, "She's nice and gave me a Dratini."

"Oh no! You didn't accept it, did you?" John asked.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because that means that you joined up with Alexandra's NDSJ!" John exclaimed.

Sam blinked and shook his head. "No way. Alexandra said nothing about joining up. I think it was a gesture of good will."

"Someone like her would have no good will. Do you understand me? None. She's evil through and through." John answered.

"What? Evil? She's not evil."

Charles shook his head. "Apparently she brain-washed you…"

"No. She did not!" Sam protested fiercely.

John sighed, "Quit interrogating him, Charles. Perhaps she thought he was cute and just gave him that Dratini as a gift."

"Fine," Charles gave in.

Sam smiled and looked up into the sky. He wondered where Alexandra was right then. _I hope I can see her again soon,_ he thought, watching a flock of Pidgey take to the air.

Meanwhile, not too far from Saffron, Alexandra and Aerodactyl flew into the sky. They both were looking forward to returning to Mount Silver. Still, Alexandra couldn't get Sam out of her mind. _He was very handsome_, she thought.

"Aero?" Aerodactyl glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Hmmm? It's nothing, my friend. Nothing. I'm just thinking."

Aerodactyl sighed and flew higher in the sky. He kept his sharp eyes on the watch for any enemy Spearow that might try to attack. "Aero aerodact," he muttered.

Alexandra ignored him and began to think about her epic disaster with the meeting. "Damn. I wish they hadn't tried to cross-examine me like I was some monster. I haven't done anything wrong. At least not yet." She grumbled to herself. Aerodactyl realized that she was talking to herself and remained quiet. "But all is not lost. Sam is not a lost cause. I could corrupt him into joining me. No! I won't do that. He's too sweet and innocent. Doing that would turn me into the monster that I fear. I won't do it."

"Aerodactyl dactyl!" Aerodactyl cried out. He had just spotted an extremely exhausted Crystal wobbling toward the outskirts of Saffron City.

Alexandra had spotted her too. "Oh, lookie here! Crystal! I'm sure she'll do just as bad as I did on her interview…"

"Dactyl!" Aerodactyl agreed. He decided to follow Alexandra's instincts and leave Crystal alone. One day they would have a final battle, but it wasn't the right time. Later, then they would fight for the last time.


	21. Chapter 21

Crystal staggered closer to Saffron City. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to just sit down and relax. A large shadow passed by her and she glanced up. _So, Alexandra was here after all,_ Crystal growled angrily and considered attacking the Aerodactyl with Blastoise. However, the thought was just not that appealing. "I just need rest. Then I'll wage a full out war against Alexandra and the NDSJ. First, though, I need to go after Mario and kill him. After that, Alexandra should be a piece of cake to handle. Destroy her moral. Perfect plan." She grinned to herself, and then realized that doing that hurt her jaw. _I just need rest..._ She huffed.

Finally, after suffering through waterfalls and caves, Crystal made it to Saffron. She silently celebrated and moved into the city walls. It didn't take her long to find the building where she was supposed to go. "Ah-hah! There it is!" She ran to the door and knocked multiple times.

An older man appeared in the doorway. "So you must be Crystal. Welcome!" The man seemed nice, but looks could be deceiving. She eyed him carefully and entered the building. "John! Crystal finally showed up."

Another older man stood up and smiled, "Crystal, we summoned you here because we are not too sure what your goals are in Johto."

Crystal folded her arms across her chest and blinked, "Haven't you heard about it? Seems odd that you would summon me here just to gain information—information that you probably already have."

"She's smart," the man, who had allowed her to enter, muttered.

Crystal shrugged modestly, "I do my best. My mission with the NIA is to destroy the NDSJ and all of their allies. I want to see Alexandra dead."

"Good girl. You do know who to speak our language."

A younger man spoke up. "But why do you want to kill Alexandra? What caused the war?"

"In my hometown, I heard of a dragon using clan who wanted to spread the use of dragons all over the world. Blackthorn is deathly close to my home, so I knew that we would be the first to convert from our beloved ice Pokèmon. And I couldn't allow that to happen." Crystal explained. She smiled, _Perfect! My charm is working!_

The man identified as John approached Crystal. "We want to see Alexandra dead too. I think that it would be a wise move if we joined forces."

The younger man yelped, "WHAT?! John!"

"Sam. Be quiet. I know what I'm doing. And if anyone can destroy the NDSJ, it would be an ice trainer." John growled and turned back to Crystal. "Forgive him. He's just a youngster."

Crystal nodded and smiled, "No worries. I think that we can utterly annihilate Alexandra. And her ally, Mario. He must be destroyed too."

"Agreed!" Both men nodded. Sam just sighed.

Meanwhile, Alexandra and Aerodactyl were on the move. They were flying back to the base at Mount Silver. Both had a sense of doom and knew that something bad was going to happen very soon. Sooner than both would like. "Aerodactyl, do you have the same bad feeling that I have?" She asked.

"Aero!" Aerodactyl answered. He was nervous. However, his nerves were soon soothed when he was the large rock base towering into the air. "Dactyl!"

Alexandra saw Mario standing on the room of the building. He had seen them. "MARIO!" Alexandra shouted and waved. She was genuinely happy to see him. Without waiting for Aerodactyl to land, she leaped off and landed hard on the roof.

Mario looked surprised and blinked his brown eyes. "Jeez, Alexandra, could you _be_ anymore reckless?" He asked.

She laughed, "You just watch. One day this recklessness might save my life!"

"Ooookay. So how did the meeting go?"

"Poorly."

"Tell me about it."

Alexandra sighed, "Well, the Kanto forces were just two old men. They kept asking questions in which they already knew the answers to. And they seemed not to trust me."

"Wonderful. Were you polite?"

She shrugged, "Probably could have done a little bit better at that department…"

Mario slapped his forehead and groaned, "Can't you be a little more tactful? Seriously, Alexandra, I have no idea how many more chances you're going to get in winning this war. I'm afraid that one day we'll wake up and find ourselves surrounded my death and destruction. Or worst, never wake up at all."

"Relax, you big baby. I don't think death and destruction is in store for us. Those old men didn't seem like the type who would wage an unstoppable war."

"I hope you're right about that," Mario answered in an uncertain voice.

Alexandra paused and glanced at the troops. There was a massive crater in the ground from Aerodactyl's Giga Impact. "I am right. Don't worry, Mario. Everything will be fine. Trust me on that."

"I trust you," Mario said. His voice had a hit of mistrust in it. It was clear that he was not sure if his ally was correct. And he was not looking forward to seeing if she was or not. His eyes narrowed, "Please, don't antagonize them. We don't need any more complications. And most of our men are still weak from the earlier attack."

"Bunch of wimps…" Alexandra muttered to herself.

Mario glared at her sharply. "Well, Alexandra, not everyone can be as tough as you. Some of us need rest."

She shrugged, "What? Do you want an apology? We can't be sitting around all day waiting for an attack. And if I know Crystal, she'll most likely sweet talk her way into the hearts of those old men. Which means that we have even more trouble coming our way."

Mario gasped, "Are you telling me that Crystal will most likely join forces with Kanto?"

"I hate to admit it, but probably. I didn't exact make a wonderful first impression."

"Crap! Our one chance of gaining more allies and you blow it."

Alexandra hesitated. She knew that it was true. "Mario, we don't need those creeps. We can defeat all the forces in Kanto and Johto combined! Then we can move on to Hoenn! I know we can do this. All we have to do is believe."

Mario sighed, "Alexandra, I wish I had your confidence. Or your stupidity. Which ever makes you so bold."

"Let's try confidence," she muttered.


	22. Chapter 22

Sam sat in the corner of the room and watched as John, Charles, and Crystal began to work up plans to attack Mount Silver and end the war once and for all. He was unhappy with the idea of killing Alexandra. _I know that she's bad, but I just can't understand how someone can be pure evil. Alexandra didn't seem evil when I saw her. She just seemed to have a slight attitude problem,_ he thought. His blue eyes focused on Crystal. _I do not trust her._

Crystal was oblivious to Sam's thoughts. She was focused on planning the final attack against Alexandra. "If we can invade from the south, Alexandra would not be expecting that," she said.

John nodded, "Are you sure about that? I would rather not risk my men."

"Yes. When I have attacked, I've attacked from the north. That's exactly what she'd be expecting. However, what I would do is send out a small strike force to attack from the north and draw Alexandra and Mario's attention away from the main army."

Charles agreed, "That does make sense, but won't it be a risk for those who act as the distraction?"

Crystal shrugged, "Probably."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"No. Men die in war. That's just how it goes."

John looked thoughtful, "And what about Pokèmon? Don't they have a say in what they do?"

Again, Crystal shrugged. "I suppose."

Sam glared at her and snarled, "How can you be a good person when you have no concern for your Pokèmon?! Alexandra would never be that heartless!"

"Alexandra is a terrible monster," John pointed out.

Sam was on a roll. "But why?!" He shouted.

Charles spoke up. "It is because she thinks that she can push her will upon others without a second thought. Alexandra forces her will upon people who can make their own decisions. She is arrogant and would be more than willing to kill anyone in order to get what she wants. Even you, Sam."

"That's impossible! She gave me that Dratini!" Sam protested angrily.

John sighed and replied, "She played you. She has no interest in you. Maybe in recruiting you, but that's all."

Sam was angry. _That's a lie! She was a good person! Maybe a little misguided, but good!_ He thought. Defeated, Sam closed his eyes and sighed, "Fine. She's an evil person who should die."

"Good. Glad to see that you agree with me," John nodded and continued talking to Crystal and Charles. "So you think that the southern entrance will be our best bet at an ambush?"

"Yes. It will be a piece of cake," Crystal said with a nod.

Charles hesitated, "But what if Alexandra's dragons are scouting the region? We might be discovered!"

"Leave that to me. If I attack directly, Alexandra will pay no attention to the other sides of Mount Silver. We can outflank them and win!"

"That will be dangerous," John warned.

Crystal nodded, "I know, but that is a risk that I am willing to take."

Sam growled, but said nothing. _That Crystal is not to be trusted. I must stay on my guard_, he thought.

Charles leaned against the wall and said, "Good. Crystal can provide the distraction while John, Sam, and I invade from the sides. Plus our army."

"Army? I didn't know that Kanto had an army," Crystal looked shocked.

John nodded, "Yes. It's not really that big, though, but it's better than nothing."

"True," Charles agreed. "And we have the Hoenn army to fall back on if we absolutely have to."

Crystal nodded, "And I have the NIA and a bunch of unwilling troops from Blackthorn to call upon. I think we have plenty of humans and Pokèmon."

Sam merely growled.

Meanwhile, back at Mount Silver, Alexandra and Mario were discussing the possible plans for invasion. Alexandra wore her hair in a ponytail to keep it from falling in her eyes as she leaned over a map. "There," she pointed. "That's probably where we're going to be attacked from. If we are attacked, that is."

Mario examined the position. "That's the eastern ridges. Alexandra, we have a heavy defense there. They would have to be stupid to attack there."

"True. We do have defenses there, but Crystal has all the assistance from Kanto now. She won't mind slaughtering a few hundred people and Pokèmon in order to get to us. Plus that is the border between Kanto and Johto. Meaning it's a shorter distance to get from a safe base to us."

Mario paused and nodded thoughtfully. "But what about the other fronts?"

"Crystal usually attacks from the north or the west. She never attacks from the south or the east because that's out of the way for her. I would suggest we cover all our fronts, but focus on the north and the east."

"Why not the south and the west?"

"She would have to be dangerously close to us to attack from the west and it's also out of the way. To attack from the south would be stupid. I mean, she would have to cross into New Bark Town to really have much of a chance to outflank us."

"So what do you think our odds are of defeating her?"

Alexandra considered that for a moment. "Decent, but probably not in this battle. I think that we should attack Saffron soon before they attack us though."

"Wouldn't that cut our defenses in half?"

"Good point. That won't work. I guess this must be a game of patience. We must wait from them to come at us, and then we can counterstrike. Until that day comes, we must stay on our guard. Post extra guards and keep the dragons on high alert!"


	23. Chapter 23

The plan was set. Crystal was to lead the charge from the east while Charles and John would attack from the south. They figured that Alexandra and Mario would expect the attack to come from the north and east. _Well, they would be half correct_, John thought. He was in his car, driving west to Celadon City. There he would try to gather as many trainers as possible. Then, on the way to Pewter, he would explain the plan as quickly as possible.

Sam was in the passenger seat and was staring out of the window. His thoughts were about Alexandra and her beauty. _I hope she runs away to the north and hides. Sinnoh would be her safest bet,_ he thought.

"Sam?" John glanced at his passenger. "You do know what this means? You're finally growing up. Maybe not a professor, but you have become a soldier."

_An unwilling soldier in this stupid war…_ Sam thought. He struggled to keep his expressions as emotionless as possible. "Yes. I suppose you are right," he said in a monotone voice.

"Now, Sam, I know that you are angry with me about Alexandra, but you must know that she is not a good person. She may seem to be good, but she's not. Please listen to me. She would just as soon kill you as well as look at you. And her feelings on Pokèmon? She uses her dragon Pokèmon as tools to get ahead in life. I just don't even what to think about how she feels on non-dragon Pokèmon."

Sam shrugged and said nothing. He disagreed with him. When he met Alexandra, he knew that somewhere deep down inside her, she was a good person. _I don't believe him_, he thought with a slight growl.

"Fine. Don't believe me, but when you see the kind of hell we're going to encounter…let's just say that you're going to believe me after we finish our battle."

After a moment, Sam said, "Do you think Crystal is trustworthy?"

John hesitated for several seconds before saying, "No."

"Then why are we joining forces with her?"

Again, John hesitated. "Well, I think that she would be the easier to defeat later on. If we had to fight her, that is."

"You mean, you plan on betraying her?"

"At a later date."

"Unbelievable! Hypocrite!" Sam growled.

John slammed his foot hard on the breaks. The sounds of horns from angry drivers came from behind them. "Sam! How dare you say such things to your elders! Do you realize how wrong you are?! Have you even considered the benefits of double-crossing? Kanto will be rid of two major threats!"

Sam shut his eyes. He could see the benefits, but he didn't like the idea of a double-cross. It just seemed so wrong. "I guess you're right. Getting rid of two threats is better than just getting rid of one."

"Exactly," John nodded his head. Then he pointed toward a large building. "There. That building. We meet up with another trainer there."

"Who?"

"I'm not sure yet. All I know is if they join up, we will have a major ally. Maybe." John didn't sound very sure of himself.

Sam blinked, "So they might not join up with us?"

"They might not," he answered.

Sam noticed a second car pull up in front of the building. Charles and Crystal got out of the car and watched as John pulled beside them. "What took you two so long?" Crystal asked in a somewhat snippy voice.

"Sorry. The traffic is terrible," John apologized as he got out of the car and shut the door behind him.

Charles nodded, "No problem. So when are we supposed to meet this mystery trainer?"

"Don't have a clue. I don't even know if they are even here yet," John answered.

Sam glanced at the large building. He could see a shape standing in the window, watching. "Ummm…is that whoever it is that is supposed to be coming?" He nodded toward the window.

John squinted, "That must be him."

The four went inside of the building. The building interior was nice. Bright white walls and large pictures of various species of Pokèmon could be found everywhere. Sam watched a lady walk by. She was carrying a Meowth in her arms. Then the group reached the elevator. "Ladies first," Charles said politely to Crystal.

"Thank you," she answered with a small smile. Sam was surprised the smile didn't make her face break.

John entered last and pushed the button for floor five. The doors shut sluggishly and, with a slight jerk, the elevator rose up toward the fifth floor. They were disturbed when the elevator stopped at the third floor. A man, dressed in a suite, blinked and asked, "Is there any room inside? Oh, never mind, I'll just wait. Sorry."

With that, the elevator door shut once again and it continued to make its way up to the fifth floor. Finally, with no more interruptions, the elevator reached the fifth floor. With a ding, the door opened. Right then, the mystery trainer approached them after leaving one of the rooms. "It's good to finally meet you," he said.

Sam couldn't believe his eyes. This trainer was at least five or six years younger than he was. This guy was just a kid! _Maybe he wants his bottle…_ Sam wondered with a wicked smile.

The trainer shifted his weight on his other foot and said, "I heard of your problems and wanted to help. So what's the situation?"

John explained, "Well we have an evil dragon trainer on the loose with her steel loving ally. She might attack us at any time and we need assistance."

"And how can I help you? I am but just a mere trainer. I'm not a master Pokèmon trainer and I am not a member of any gym. Why me?" The young teen asked.

John looked at him and said, "It is because your mother owes me one."

Sam shot John a surprised glance. _So this boy and his mom have some relationship with John? I wonder what it is._

The boy hesitated, "I guess if Mom wants me to help you, then I will."

"Thank you, Giovanni," John said, patting the boy on his head.


	24. Chapter 24

Alexandra leaned against a wall at the base at Mount Silver. She pretended not to be concerned at the events at Saffron City, but knew that Crystal would somehow gain the trust of the men from Kanto. _Damn fools. They have no idea the mistake they're making. _She thought, glaring bitterly at the stone floor. _Crystal will kill Mario and I first, then go after Kanto once the Johto opposition is defeated. Those fools do not stand a chance._

Mario approached Alexandra and laid a hand on her shoulder. He could sense that she was distressed. "What is wrong?" He asked her, fearing the answer.

"Nothing." She answered. Alexandra did not want him to know that she was worried about the current situation. She pulled a small map from a pocket and unfolded it. "Mario. I want us to have an escape plan."

"You? Thinking ahead?" Mario gasped sarcastically. He looked at the map. "What do you have in mind?"

Alexandra shrugged, "I think we should go someplace far away if our plans have any chance of failing. I've heard of a distant country far away from here. I think the country is called Isshu or something like that."

"So you want me to go to a country you're not even sure exists?" Mario's eyes narrowed.

"It's better than death, I suppose." Alexandra's spark had vanished. She looked troubled.

Mario shook his head. "How about this? Tell me what's wrong."

"There is this guy." She began to explain. "He's a professor in training in Kanto. I was hoping he and I would end up on the same side, but I fear that that won't be the case. I figure that he has joined Crystal. At any rate, how is the troops on the north and east boundaries?"

"They are fine. I heard a report this morning. So far, there is no movement." Mario glanced at his watch. "Listen, Alexandra, while you are sitting around moping, I need to see how the men are holding up. You'd be wise to start acting like a leader and less like a girl."'

Alexandra glared at him for several seconds. "Very well. I will go on route and see if any enemy troops are coming." She left her position on the wall and began walking away from Mario. "Mario. If you ever doubt me again, I will hurt you. Badly. Remember that." She warned. Then she opened a door and entered another room, leaving Mario alone.

"Maybe I should have joined Kanto…" He muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, back at Kanto, John, Charles, and Crystal were busy briefing Giovanni on the current situation. Giovanni was a fairly young trainer, but was willing to help his country defeat the threat. "Alexandra uses dragon Pokèmon and Mario uses steel Pokèmon. Both are dangerous." Charles told Giovanni. They were inside John's lab.

Giovanni blinked and stated, "But Charizard is not a true dragon. It's a fire and flying type Pokèmon."

John shrugged and brushed his hair back. "Nevertheless, Charizard should be treated like a dragon. But a dragon that is weak to water and less so to ice." He told Giovanni. Then he glanced at Sam, who was sitting in a chair, "I'm sure Sam will be happy to help you prep your Pokèmon for battle. We are heading out tonight to wage our first major battle against the Mount Silver base. Mario and Alexandra probably won't be expecting our attack so soon. We will have an advantage with a sneak attack."

Sam grumbled to himself and folded his arms across his chest. Charles looked sharply at him and asked, "What is it, young man?" Sam shook his head and walked out of the room.

Crystal watched him leave and smiled, "He's probably a light weight. Can't handle the idea of seeing blood. Lots of it too."

"That's normal, I'm sure. Once Sam gets his first battle in, he'll be more agreeable." John nodded.

Sam glared at Crystal and thought, _I don't trust her._ He glanced at the wall clock and saw that it was about noon. "I'm going out of a walk." Sam told the others. He did not wait for any protests and walked out the door. The warm air struck his face and he inhaled. He glanced up at the sky and shielded his eyes from the sun. He saw Pidgeot resting in a tree. "My friend, we are going to fly." Sam told the bird.

"Geot!" Pidgeot landed and Sam climbed on his back. "Pidgeot!"

Sam glanced back at the building that contained John, Charles, and Crystal. "Let's go. To Mount Silver." He shot another glance at the building. _Am I about to commit treason?_ He wondered.

Pidgeot seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Geot?" He asked.

"Let's go." Sam ordered. Pidgeot opened his wings and flew into the sky. The bird Pokèmon was fast in the air. Before they knew it, they were sailing high about Celadon City. Then they were over Pewter City and Sam could see Mount Silver raising high about the clouds. "We're almost there." Sam told Pidgeot, stroking his feathers. They soared over the forests and waterways that were scattered around the land.

Once they were in Johto territory, Sam grew nervous. He watched as several ground patrols looked up at him and pointed. Some raised their guns, but did not fire. Sam and Pidgeot flew toward the hidden base that was nestled down in Mount Silver. It was easy to find with Pidgeot's keen vision. Together, they landed and were immediately surrounded by NDSJ troops. "Come with us." One NDSJ troop said coldly.

Sam nodded and dismounted Pidgeot. He followed the guard inside the base. Everyone inside the based glared at him with distrust. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all._ He thought, shivering slightly. Then he noticed the guards stiffen. Someone important was coming. Sam saw a tall figure approach with a ponytail. Alexandra!

"Who is the prisoner?" Alexandra asked. She looked annoyed.

The guard snapped a salute. "Ma'am. It is a young man who flew in on a Pidgeot." He explained.

"Pidgeot?" Alexandra shook her head and went to see Sam. "I don't believe it. Guards, leave us."

"But…" One guard started to protest.

Alexandra shot him a cold stare. "I'll be fine." With that, she grabbed Sam by the arm and headed off into another room. She shut the door and turned to face him. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked, angrily.

"I wanted to see you." He explained.

Alexandra shook her head, "Do you realize what you've done? You need to go back to Kanto right now before things get further out of hand."

"Why?"

"Why? Because they'll think that I've kidnapped you!" She was clearly unhappy.

Sam sighed and walked to the window. "Crystal is with them." He muttered.

"That is what I feared would happen. Sam...you shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous." Alexandra turned to face him.

"I can give you information." He told her.

Alexandra shook her head. "No. You're not in trouble yet. If you keep your mouth shut, you'll stay out of trouble. I appreciate you coming to me. I really do, Sam. But this is not the time for romance. Please go. We will see each other again."

"They're going to kill you." Sam told her.

Alexandra smiled, "I'm a tad hard to kill. Believe me, many have tried." She went to him and touched his cheek. Sam watched as she leaned forward and kissed him. "We will meet again, Sam. I promise."

Sam stared into Alexandra's eyes. "We will." He agreed with a small smile. Then he turned and went back outside, where his Pidgeot waiting. "Let's go back home." He said. Pidgeot opened his wings and took off back into the sky.

Alexandra watched them go. Mario approached her. "And what was that about?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Nothing. Nothing at all."


	25. Chapter 25

Sam left Alexandra, feeling a bit rejected. He knew that she was right. What he had done was indeed foolish. Pidgeot continued his flight back to Saffron City. "Pidgeot, thank you for coming with me to see Alexandra." He rubbed the bird's neck.

"Geot!" Pidgeot cried and flapped his wings. He reached Saffron and began to slowly descend down to the earth. Once close to landing, Pidgeot flared sharply, brought his talons forward and landed neatly on the ground.

Sam got off of Pidgeot and noticed that John was standing outside the building, glaring at him. "Hey, John. What did you decide?" Sam asked, trying to sound perky.

"Where did you go? You were gone for a long time." John asked sternly. He narrowed his eyes.

Sam smiled, "Just went out flying. I was trying to clear my head. So what's the plan?" He had to lie. If John had known where Sam had flown, it would be the end of him. He couldn't allow John to know that he visited Alexandra.

"Well, we've decided to attack tonight. We will have the cover of darkness that will allow us to move in close to the target."

"Oh? Tonight?"

"Yes. I've already gathered Kanto's army. We will go in together."

Sam gulped. He did not expect them to attack so soon. "Excellent!" Sam said enthusiastically.

"Good. Glad to see that you are ready. Come, we begin our march immediately." John pointed toward the mass group of humans and Pokèmon that surrounded John's lab. Charles, Crystal, and Giovanni waited alongside the troops. "Come on, Sam. Let's go."

Sam watched as the men began to march and fell into step. _What did I just get myself into?_ He wondered.

Meanwhile, several hours later, at Mount Silver, Alexandra and Mario were talking. "Mario, I think it would be wise if I scout ahead. See if there is anything suspicious happening in the canyon." Alexandra stated.

"Not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all." Mario agreed. "But be careful. It's nearly nightfall. You don't want to get lost in the darkness."

She laughed, "Aerodactyl has wonderful night vision. I am not afraid of the dark." She began to leave but stopped suddenly. She had a bad feeling. "Mario?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful." She told him as she left the room. Alexandra's stomach felt sick. _What is going on? Why am I so nervous?_ She wondered, walking toward the landing platform. Aerodactly was waiting for her.

"Aero?" He asked her.

She patted his head. "I'm fine. Let's fly." She got on his back and Aerodactyl began to flap hard. Since there were no thermals at night, he had to work to get into the air. But once they got into the sky, Aerodactyl used the air currents in the canyon to allow him to pick up speed that he could use to shoot himself into the sky.

"Dactyl!" He cried, soaring high above the base.

Alexandra looked down. There was nothing strange happening in the canyon. But the sick feeling did not go away. "Something bad is going to happen. Stay on your guard." She ordered.

"Aero." He agreed.

They continued to head north, unaware of the danger from the south. Both Aerodactyl and Alexandra were safe. Mario, however, was not. At the base, Mario peered into the darkness. He felt uneasy now that Alexandra had left. "Maybe I should have told her to stay." He muttered to himself as the watched the guards outside chance shift. Now a new set of guards would keep the base safe for a few hours.

Mario sighed and walked away from the window. His shoulders slumped slightly. He wasn't an old man, in his thirties, but he felt ancient. The first war was bad, but this was worse. _Probably because I'm a leader in this war._ He thought with a grunt. His shoes clicked on the floor as he entered his office. A map of Johto sat spread out on the table. There were various pen marks on the map from planning. Alexandra had a habit of writing on maps.

He glanced at the clock. It was about nine o'clock. _Alexandra didn't say how long she was going to be gone. Hopefully she doesn't go out joy riding._ Mario thought. He considered making a pot of coffee but decided against it. _Too late for coffee. I don't want to be awake all night._ He thought.

Then he heard shouts. "Now what?" He grumbled, walking toward the shouts. Hearing shouts did not worry him. _Could be Alexandra playing a trick on us. Or it could be a fight amongst my men._ It was when he heard gunfire that he became scared.

The men were returning fire. "What is going on?" Mario shouted over the sounds of guns. He saw his men. One had been wounded in the shoulder, but he continued to fire. Mario leaped toward the ledge and looked down. He gasped. _Where did they come from?_ He thought, biting his lip. A massive army was firing on the base. Then he saw Blastoise shooting water toward his position. He dropped to the floor to avoid being blasted by water. His men, however, took the hit.

"Ahhgggrr!" The men cried. Some lost their footing and fell off the stone deck. Mario did not want to think of what was going to happen to them.

After returning to his feet, Mario cried, "Crystal! I should have known that you would join forces with Kanto! Damn you!"

Crystal laughed from far below and yelled, "Fool. You stand no chance!"

"You honestly think I'm going to surrender from the likes of you? If you want me, you'll have to have me dead! There is no way I'm giving up this base while I'm alive!"

"Dead it is, then!"

Mario dodged another blast of water and threw out a Pokèball. "Steelix! Get rid of them!" He bellowed. The massive steel Pokèmon roared.

Mario saw a man stand in front of Crystal and yell, "Gallade! Go!" A tall green and white Pokèmon appeared in front of the man. "Gallade! Use Close Combat!"

"Gallade!" The Gallade leaped at Steelix. In seconds, Steelix was defeated.

Mario could not believe his eyes. "No!" He cried, stunned. The enemy raised their guns to fire at him. He did not care. _At least I'll be free._

Meanwhile, Alexandra and Aerodactyl flew higher in the sky. "Aero!" Aerodactyl cried. He heard the sound of gunfire from a distance.

Alexandra heard it as well. "Oh no! We have to get back now!" She shouted. Aerodactyl turned and sailed back to the base. Both saw hundreds of men surrounding the base, shooting. "No." Alexandra whispered. Aerodactyl landed in the shadows to avoid being seen. Alexandra leaped from him and ran, turning to yell, "I might need your help. Be ready!"

"Aero!" Aerodactyl cried.

Alexandra ran down the halls. She was in panic mode. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Help me, guys!" She threw out her Pokèballs. Charizard, Dragonite, Salamence, Flygon, and Garchomp were already in the air and flying toward the exit. "Get to Mario!" She cried.

Finally, all reached the exit. She saw Crystal standing over Mario, who had been captured. He was bleeding badly from several gunshot wounds. Fury burned in Alexandra's eyes and, without thinking; she leaped over several protective fences and dodged enemy gunfire. They were shooting at her! Once Alexandra was in range, she leaped into the air to kick Crystal away from Mario.

"What the?" Crystal yelped, looking up from her assault on Mario. Mario was barely breathing. "Ahhh!" She cried as Alexandra's foot hit her face.

Alexandra dropped gracefully and yelled, "GET AWAY!" Her voice was filled with anger. "That's my friend you're screwing with." She lowered her voice. Then she grabbed her gun and pointed it right at Crystal's head.

"Go on. Shoot." Crystal taunted. Alexandra narrowed her eyes and, quickly, fired into Crystal's knee. "AGH! MOTHERF—" Crystal cried, falling. She grabbed her knee and wailed in agony. Her knee was now a bloody mess.

Alexandra pointed her gun at John. "Get out." She growled.

John glared at her, then called back Gallade. "Alexandra. This is not over."

"No. It isn't." Alexandra hissed. Her eyes darted toward Charles and she snarled, "You too. Get the hell out! Mark my words, though. I will have my revenge."

Slowly, slowly, the Kanto army began to retreat. Crystal had to be carried by Blastoise and she continued to scream various insults at Alexandra. Sam watched from a distance as Alexandra leaned over Mario. But he was shoved back into the ranks by another soldier.

Alexandra placed her hand on Mario's head. "Mario? Can you hear me?" She asked, worried. Blood was split all over the rocks. Mario's face was badly beaten and pale. But he was still breathing. Barely. "Come on!" Alexandra commanded.

Mario coughed up blood and opened his swollen eyes. "My…Pokèmon….." He winced and continued, "Take….take….and…re…release…"

"Release your Pokèmon?" Alexandra echoed.

"…you…..thank you…I…I have…failed you…." Mario coughed again.

"You did not!" Alexandra cried. Her Pokèmon gathered around her, along with several of the NDSJ troops.

Mario looked into Alexandra's eyes. He was tired. So tired. _I hope that one day you forgive me for abandoning you._ Mario thought weakly. _My sweet girl. My friend. My ally. _His eyes started to shut.

"Don't you close your eyes!" Alexandra ordered.

_Can't. I can't stop. I'm so tired. So tired. All I need is a little sleep. Remember sleep, my friend? Remember the time when we played hide and seek as children and I found you sleeping…wait….no…that wasn't you. That was someone else. _Mario's mind began to fade. He was growing confused. _Remember…remember….remember…._

"Don't you die on me!" Alexandra apparently had Charizard carry him back into the base. Mario felt like he was flying.

_Remember….remember…..remember me….Alexandra…_ Mario convulsed in Charizard's arms and began to vomit up blood.

Alexandra heard the sounds and turned. "Mario! Mario!" She cried. Her hands clutched his shirt and she shook him. There was no movement. "Oh god. Oh my god. He's….he's dead!" She began to cry. Tears began to pour from her.

The NDSJ members lowered their heads. Alexandra dropped to her knees and cried. Then she screamed, "You will pay for this, Crystal!"

END OF VOLUME ONE


End file.
